Major items in this issue:

• ‘What’s a Torpedo Between Friends?’ HAL McCORMICK

• “Scuttlebutt from SANTOS”
• History U-235, U-250, U-251 and USS DRUM
• The INTELLIGENCE PAGE is back – WOW!!
•• PPEETTEER
R’’ss PPeerriissccooppee
• New Feature – “Died or Escaped?” (replaces Spook Stuff!)
• Diving with “Dex” – another great sea story
• Report on Argentina getting interesting - REAL INTERESTING!
TM
• An Italian Submariner’s Memories

“Yesterday’s Enemies are

Today’s Friends”

The Official History Publication of the U-Bootwaffe

 The
Written & Copyrighted by Harry Cooper
Founded – February 1983
SHARKHUNTERS Intl, Inc. President’s
P. O. Box 1539 Hernando FL 34442
Phone (352) 637-2917 FAX (352) 637-6289
[email protected] Column
KASSLER BANK for European deposits From Sharkhunters President
BLZ 520 900 00 KTNMR 157 0814 03 HARRY COOPER
IBAN: DE68520900000157081403 (1-LIFE-1983)
BIC: GENODE51KS1
Volume 26 June 2008 Number 4
ISSN 1046-7335
Battle of the Falklands
Publisher/Editor Harry Cooper
To our friends and Members in Argentina – relax, we do not mean
Administrative Assistant Kaycee Cooper the battle which you call the battle of the Islas Malvinas. We do
Assistant Editor Meaghan Cooper indeed mean the battle of the Falkland Islands which took place in
Document Coordinator Sean Cooper the early stages of World War One. It was during this battle in
Business Consultant ‘Jamaica Jay’ which the cruiser squadron commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee
Legal Consultant Jeffrey Green was all but wiped out in the southern Atlantic. Only the cruiser
Researcher Brian Orlando DRESDEN (photo top right front page) escaped.
Translators (German) Walter Kern
Jason Bulkeley On board DRESDEN was a young Oberleutnant zur See named
(Russian) Jason Bulkeley Wilhelm Canaris (photo top left front page). After the escape from
(Spanish) Martin Fernandez Royal Navy, they went through the Straits of Magellan and plotted
(French) Kevin Farrell dozens of “U-Plätze”; coves and harbors where ships could hide
from prying eyes. These charts were updated in 1938 when the old
Far Eastern Correspondent Yoya Kawamura line ship SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN retraced the route.
Videographer Bud Dana
Sharkhunters purpose is submarine history with main emphasis on Canaris went ashore in Chile and on horseback in 1915; he crossed
the German U-Boats – the collection, preservation and the Andes into Patagonia where he found a sleepy little town in the
dissemination of this history without politics, prejudice or eastern foothills that looked just like Bavaria. Better yet, he was a
propaganda. The KTB Magazine of Sharkhunters is published guest on a massive ranch owned by the Schaumburg-Lippe family,
nine times annually. Subscription is by Membership only. one of the princely houses in Germany.
_____________________________________________ Wilhelm Canaris went on to become an Admiral and in command
Sharkhunters of the Abwehr (German Secret Service) in WW II.

Advisory Board Now where do you think this story goes from here in 1915 into the
EMILIE CALDWELL-STEWART (2480-1992) …. …… 2008 years leading up to World War II……..and beyond? You’re going
BILL OLSEN (2431-LIFE-1992) ………………………… 2009 to get a history lesson that you never got in high school.
Oblt. GÜNTHER HEINRICH (1945-LIFE-1991) ………. 2010
Skipper of U-960 – the last boat through Gibraltar. What of the lower photo on the front page? At the lower left we
WILLIAM NAPIER (2290-C/LIFE-1992) ………………. 2010 can see breaking waves on the shore – but what shore? It is also
MYRON BLAHY (5432-1997) …………………………… 2010 evident that a shallow shelf runs out perhaps two kilometers but
JOHN BUCK (3884-LIFE-1994) …………………………. 2011 look closer – we mentioned this phenomenon on page 35 of KTB
Oblt. “Hai” Maßmann (4522-LIFE-`1995) ….. ………….. 2011 #208 last month. What do you think you are seeing? We will tell
TILMAN HESS (5817-LIFE-1999) ………………………. 2011 you what is there in subsequent issues. You will be astounded!
DAVID MOBLEY (417-LIFE-1987) …………………….. 2012 _____________________________
STEVE SHOCK (2213-A/LIFE-1992) …………………… 2013

Back Issues Available

MATT HALL (6187-2000) ……………………………….. 2013
HAROLD GAY (286-1987) ………………………………. 2013
VICTOR TURON (28-1984) …………………………….. 2014
RICH delFAVRO (1495-LIFE-1990) ……………………. 2014
CHRIS BANDA (6733-2003) …………………………….. 2014 Now that we are putting our KTB Magazines on
MARY MYERS (7025-2005) …………………………….. 2015 the computer, we can offer back issues of all KTB
LOREN CHARLES (3818-2003) ………………………… 2015 #182 up to the current which we can send via
PETER STOCKNER (6894-2004) ……………………….. 2015 email. Please check Page 38 for full details.
BILL REED (13-LIFE-1983) ……………………………… 2016 You’re going to read history, FACTUAL history
JAMES KENNEDY (1906-LIFE-1991) …………………... 2016
with proof that you’ll never see anywhere else.
Conning tower emblems by GEORG HÖGEL (240-LIFE-1987)
KTB #209 PAGE 2
 “What’s a Torpedo Between Friends?”
by HAL McCORMICK (1184-+-1989)
As we often see, history – maybe call it FATE – but something has seaplane on routine anti-submarine patrol. Its seaplane tender,
brought Sharkhunters Members back together after decades. In USS MATAGORDA, reached the scene during the following night,
this piece, Commander HAROLD McCORMICK (1184-+-1989) rescued the entire crew in separate operations and sank the boats
remembers the time his path crossed with JÜRGEN OESTEN and raft with machine gun fire.
(1681-LIFE-1990) one stormy night.
_____________________________ Two days later we were put ashore at Florianopolis, Brazil in the
custody of US Vice-Consul William Preston Rambo of Hamilton,
EDITOR NOTE – It was U-861 under command of Ohio. Because housing facilities were limited, the ship’s Master,
JÜRGEN OESTEN that sank this ship. SS WILLIAM Harry Chase of New York City, the other Merchant Officers and
GASTON was built in 1942, owned by WSA and crew were quartered in the town jail, the enlisted men in a nearby
operated by the American West African Line. Under military barracks while I, in a rather embarrassing bit of diplomatic
command of Master Harry W. Chase, she was making protocol, was invited to be the Vice-Consul’s house guest.
10 knots and drawing just over 27 feet under her
Later we were transported to Rio on the Brazilian steamer
cargo of 9,038 tons of corn. Her armament consisted ITABERA then by Naval Air Transport DC-3 via jungle airstrips
of one 5 inch and one 3 inch deck gun and eight .30 in Northern Brazil, French, British and Dutch Guinea, Trinidad,
caliber machine guns. McCORMICK was the Cuba and on to Miami and New York City. The trip required
Gunnery Officer. nearly a week because of frequent overnight stop-overs to handle
On 19 July, SS WILLIAM GASTON sailed passengers, mail and cargo; and because of only limited
independently from Buenos Aires bound for Baltimore. navigational facilities in Latin America at that time there was no
In heavy seas, U-861 fired a torpedo that hit starboard night flying. After brief leaves at home, the crews were reassigned,
between #4 and #5 holds. The force of the explosion separately to other ships, for the remaining years of the War.
blew out the port side, blew off the #5 hatch, torn open
steam lines and there were tons of corn flying all over Nearly 40 years later, after retiring from US Corporate life, I
undertook a personal research project to try to ascertain the
the decks. The ship’s company of eight officers,
circumstances of WILLIAM GASTON’s sinking. I learned
thirty-three men and twenty-six Armed Guards began through researching our adversary had been the German submarine
to abandon ship. U-861, under Commander Jürgen Oesten. I later learned that
About fifteen minutes later, the second torpedo hit Oesten had survived the War and had become a successful
just forward of the stern post rolling the ship over. She businessman in Germany where he operated two companies
sank stern first in less than three minutes. The crew engaged in designing and installing complete sir-conditioning
was still abandoning ship at that time. systems for ships in Europe, the Middle East and Far East.
The Number 1 lifeboat was smashed by the heavy
seas but the other three boats and one raft were
successfully launched. A patrol plane later spotted
the wreckage and called in a search. Late in the
evening on 25 July, the seaplane tender USS
MATAGORDA (AVP-22) picked up all the survivors.
There were no casualties.

Here in HAL’s own words:

Sunday evening, July 23, 1944 the American Liberty Ship SS

WILLIAM GASTON on which I served as a US Naval Gunnery
Officer was twice torpedoed and sunk during a violent Pampero
storm in the South Atlantic while sailing independently between
Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Despite mountainous seas, 67
Merchant and Navy crewmen were able to abandon ship in three
lifeboats and one raft, which soon drifted far apart in the story HAL McCORMICK (left) and JÜRGEN OESTEN
during a Sharkhunters “Patrol” in Chicago.
darkness. I was one of 14 men on the raft.

After a nasty, nauseous night, we discovered at daybreak that we

had no drinking water and only wormy chocolate for food. With This was an excellent example of the Sharkhunters motto:
little shipping in the wartime South Atlantic, our prospects for “Yesterday’s Enemies are Today’s Friends”
survival were not very good. Nevertheless, within 24 hours the
lifeboats and the raft were discovered by a US Navy MARINER They were both sworn in as honorary Chicago police officers,
along with three other U-Boat Skippers.
KTB #209
PAGE 3
Happy Birthday! 25 Years Ago in our KTB
KTB #4 was the first to be called our KTB Magazine. What does
it mean? In the German language, it is common to run several
Members celebrating a birthday in June 2008 include: words together to make one huge word that tells a story - then
abbreviate the word for ease of communication. So we have
1st BURGESS JAMIESON (896-1989) Ordnance, Korea Kriegs (war) Tage (daily) Buch (book) and when you put them all
3rd JOHN RICHARDS (1310-1989) together, the word is Kriegstagebuch (literal translation = daily war
4th DON HARDMAN (7113-2006) book) and was shortened to KTB = ship's log. This first ever issue
5th ALBERT KNOBLICH (2563-1992) of our KTB (newsletter at that time) was sent on 25 May 1983 to
6th RICH LUNDIN (6713-2003) even more people. There were no Members per se at that time and
7th MILO HUNGERFORD (513-LIFE-1988) USN (Ret) not even any dues. I was Vice President of a company in Chicago
8th DUANE LUTHE-CHARLES (5821-LIFE-1999) and used the company copy machine and their postage........we
12th DAVE BAILLARGEON (831-1993) were only talking about a handful of people.
15th GÜNTHER HOLLDORFF (207-1986)
L. I. Trainee aboard U-416 We reported on a fellow named Roger Miklos who had claimed to
have found a specially modified U-Boat sunk in the Turks &
Caicos Islands (lower Bahamas chain) naturally filled with gold,
jewels, art from the Louvre and naturally, escaping high ranking
people from the Third Reich. The story was quickly debunked.
There were two other stories we were looking into - one was about
a U-Boat on the Pacific coast of Ecuador and the other was about a
U-Boat with uranium aboard headed for Japan at the end of the
war. The first was later found to be untrue while the latter
was...................well, you'll see.

We informed the readership about a guy named Heinz Houben

who claimed to have been I.W.O. on several boats then Skipper of
a Type XXI on war patrol in the South Atlantic. All totally
FALSE! The boats he claimed to have served aboard were all lost
with all hands and the U-number he gave for his Type XXI was
actually assigned to a Type XXIII that was never built and there
were no Type XXI boats in the South Atlantic.

KTB #4 was three pages and done on that manual typewriter and
we were still a very small group indeed. Today we are more than
7,300 Members in 76 countries, some of which no longer even
exist. How far we have come!

16th FRANK RACZ (1471-1990) Comments on our eKTB

17th RADM VLADIMIR GRISHANOV (2533-1992)
17th RICHARD ARNOLD (3601-C-1994) eKTB #208 was sent via email to those Members who chose to
17th JOE FRANCE (6523-2002) receive theirs immediately – and with color photos. Some remarks:
17th ION SOLTAN (7096-2006)
21st DETLEV ZIMMERMANN (247-LIFE-1987) a Member in Canada:
Diving planesman aboard U-315 “Just read part of the eKTB – great articles! Real nice
21st JOHNNIE JOHNSON (4736-LIFE-1996) pictures to go with them. This is the stuff I love to
22nd CARL REICHL (1197-LIFE-1989) read and learn about.”
22nd RICH FARNHAM (2523-LIFE-1992)
24th Captain THOMAS MALONE (1415-LIFE-1990) from RAUL COLON (7194-2007):
25th STEVE GROHE (1312-LIFE-1989)
“One of the best eKTB yet. Great stuff!!!!”
25th MSGT DAVID HAGEN (3813-1994)
28th ARTHUR JACOBSON (2154-A/LIFE-1992)
from DON NEAR (7317-2008):
29th LARRY DINKIN (6949-2005)
“Well, you sure do have one great eKTB. I had to
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you from our more than 7,300 Members stop reading #208 a few minutes ago to tell you this.
in 76 countries, and we wish you MANY MORE! It is so damn spellbinding I can’t read it fast enough –
just great detective work. I love the Pete’s Periscope
Remember – we don’t know your birthday until you tell us. No, it and all the spook info. I just can’t believe how good
was NOT on your Membership application – you must tell us. all this stuff is. Ain’t no fiction book as good; better
And no, it not ‘special people’ who are mentioned here – it is any even than my favourite Clive Cussler! That’s a hell of
and all Sharkhunters Members who tell us their birthday. a good piece about H-G Hess. He would be happy.
Keep the truth coming.”
PAGE 4 KTB #209
 By HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983)
This is the beginning of a very long treatment on the part that Baron Ludwig, from our research, was not doing well with the
Argentina played – knowingly or not – not only in WW II but also family fortune in Germany and so, went to Argentina to manage
for decades before the war began – and for many years afterward. the ‘Estancia’ for the Schaumburg-Lippe family. He died shortly
This series actually began in KTB #206 when I reported on my after the end of WW I and his grave stands on a rise in a huge field
visit to this really country, with rather light tourist type photos but next to an Argentine pine tree, overlooking his beloved ‘Estancia’.
now we get down to serious history. You will read parts of this
history in this section but also more in regular features such as
PETER’s PERISCOPE, the Intelligence Page, Spook Stuff as well as
other articles that appear for perhaps one issue only. You will
have to gather the facts as they are released in each of these pieces
and piece them together in a logical order…..just like in school
with the exception that this is REAL history, not the simple warm
oatmeal they put in the politically correct books – the real history!
We may even go back over some facts that we’ve given previously
but it all goes to paint the complete picture. We will however,
sometimes use false names to make sure than no living person had
their live uprooted by……well, by anyone.
_____________________________

A logical place to begin would be with the crushing defeat of the

Kaiser’s cruiser squadron under command of Admiral Graf von
Spee in the area of the Falkland Islands in the early stages of the
First World War. The cruiser light DRESDEN (photo on page 1)
was the only ship to survive, and it dashed off into the Magellan
Strait to avoid destruction.

While transiting the Strait, young Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Photo above – the Baron’s grave.
Canaris made intricate studies of the multitude of hidden harbors Photo below – the view from his grave.
and coves all along the way – and there were dozens! These were
known as “U-Plätze” which meant hidden places. They were not
secret bases as some novelists would have one believe. They were
merely hidden harbors and coves with hard to see entrances, tell
trees and deep water. In true German fashion, each one of these
“U-Plätze” was given a number and all the specifics were recorded
such as where the entrance lay; sailing directions into the entrance;
distance to nearest civilization; distance to main steamer routes;
depth of the water, type of holding bottom; direction of prevailing
winds; how many ships of what size could remain hidden in there
and much more information.

After DRESDEN made her successful passage through the Straits

of Magellan, Canaris disembarked in southern Chile and for
whatever reason, went – by horseback – over the Andes into the
western edge of the district of Patagonia in Argentina. He went to
a huge, which we will merely call ‘Estancia’ for this piece.

Canaris was welcomed at ‘Estancia’ and stayed there for some

time. For decades before and after this visit, ‘Estancia’ was
owned by the German princely house of Schaumburg-Lippe. The Canaris went the 20 or so miles to the nearby town, which we will
manager of ‘Estancia’ was a German nobleman, Ludwig Graf von call ‘Stadt’ for this piece, and found that it was just like Bavaria.
Bülow. That is a familiar name inasmuch as OTTO von BÜLOW This was a sleepy little town of a few hundred people and hundreds
(305-+-1987) was skipper of U-404 and holder of the Knights of miles from the nearest neighboring town. It was an ideal place,
Cross. Furthermore, the wife of another U-Boat Skipper was of and apparently the seeds of an idea were planted with Canaris in
the familie von Bülow. It is not a large family. that tiny town of ‘Stadt’.

KTB #209 PAGE 5

Happy Birthday!
Argentina’s Place in the War (cont’d)
Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Canaris
went up through the ranks to become
Admiral Canaris and was commanding
the Abwehr, the German Secret Service.
Members celebrating their birthdays in July include: In the photo right, we see him at the rank
of Korvettenkapitän.
1st Captain JAMES GAVIN (1058-1989) What Canaris apparently saw in this little
1st DAVID SHAW (1395-1990) town of ‘Stadt’ was a reflection of the
3rd GÜNTHER BUDDENBAUM (1229-LIFE-1992) German state of Bavaria. There were the
3rd SHEILA BREVOGEL (1676-LIFE-1990) mountain like the Alps, the Alpine type
3rd ROBERT BRANEN (4847-LIFE-1996) lakes, it was near to a German owned
4th ALFRED RUDOLF (228-1986) ranch (the ‘Estancia’) and best of all, it
U-Bootfahrer, rode several boats. was hundreds of miles from the nearest
4th PAUL GATZKE (1222-1989) large city – a very long way from even another town. We believe
Cook on Kriegsmarine supply ship. that the seeds were already planted with Canaris for a German
4th Cdr. FRANCO deBERARDINIS (6771-2004) town here is a remote area, far away from anyone’s eyes.
With Decima MAS then USN SEALS
5th DALE SIMPSON (4036-LIFE-1994)
6th JESS BONDS (7038-2006)
8th LAWRENCE NOTHDURFT (5510-A/LIFE-1998)
8th AUGUST KLUGER (6505-2002)
11th JAMES HILL (805-1988)
13th Adm. VALENTIN SELIVANOV (2545-1992)
C.O. Russian Naval Administration (Retired)
18th Prof. RENEÉ von WÖRDE PhD (887-1988)
20th BILL REED (13-LIFE-1983)
USN destroyer veteran – Sharkhunters Advisory Board.
21st JAMES SANTOS (4896-A/LIFE-1998)
22nd Dr. JACK WOLPER (945-C-2005)
23rd ZEL EATON (55-LIFE-1984)
Retired Spook – Sharkhunters Advisory Board
23rd JAN BEGG (310-1987)
24th MIKE EPSTEIN (5-LIFE-1983)
US Army veteran – 82nd Airborne.
27th ROLAND IHLE (5511-C-1998)
28th WILLIAM GROSS (2877-1993)
Radarman aboard USS BROOKLYN in World War II
These photographs are NOT Bavaria but rather they are a little
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you from our more than 7,300 Members town that we call ‘Stadt’ far away in Argentina. There are the
in 75 countries, and we wish you MANY MORE! mountains across the Alpine type lake, and the buildings in town
are just as you would find in Bavaria. But they are not Bavaria and
Remember – we don’t know your birthday until you tell us. No, it not old photos. These photos were taken in January 2008
was NOT on your Membership application – you must tell us.
And no, it not ‘special people’ who are mentioned here – it is any
and all Sharkhunters Members who tell us their birthday.

Membership PRIDE!
From RICK FOGEL (7281-2007) when he returned to receiving
the Sharkhunters daily HOT MAIL:

“Here is my email to get back on the HOT MAIL.

Proud to be a Member of Sharkhunters – wish I
could have joined years ago. I really enjoy
reading about the heroes of the Vaterland and I
respect them as any other veteran! Once again; Remember – we said that you would have to pull things together
proud to finally be a Member!” from various articles and features that are running in the KTB for
many months to make a clear – well, fairly clear – idea of what
Glad to have you wish us now and for a long time RICK. went on in Argentina and more important – WHY. There will be
much more on this as we go forward. (Cont’d on page 10)
PAGE 6 KTB #209
by MIKE KOSS May, 1944 U-967 was commissioned 11 March 11
1943 and originally commanded by ObLt
Loeder; later to FK (then KL) Albrecht
“We hope our Brandi, a Knight’s Cross winner. At the
schnorkel end of the boat’s career ObLt Eberhard
course will be (July, 1944) took command.
deducted from
our leave time; U-967 ran a patrol in the North Atlantic
it will bring us under Loeder and lost a man overboard.
Brandi took command in the Med to sink
luck in the
the USS FLECHTELER, a destroyer
Mediterranean.” during May 1944.
Waldmar Jahn Oblt (ING) and LI U-565 U-967 remained in Toulon Harbor while Prior took training
aboard U-235 in the Baltic Sea. Later in the summer, Allied
U-565 was commissioned April 10th, 1941 under the command forces bombed Toulon and damaged U-967 so badly that it was
of ObLt Jebsen, later by Knight’s Cross winner KL Wilhelm decommissioned. The emblem needs no explanation.
Franken and completed its career under KL Fritz Henning.

U-565 ran 18 war patrols. After running two patrols in the June 20th, 1944
North Atlantic under Jebsen, U-565 broke through Gibraltar in
November, 1942 and operated in the Med for the rest of her “One can only say:
career. Some of the Mediterranean patrols were off Oran and Fine, ei, ei!
Algerian coasts December 1942 and an anti invasion mission High lives the schnorkeling!
near Salerno in September 1943. In November, U-565 faced
British forces off the islands of Leros and Coos. Hearty thanks for the schnorkel training, all the best
and great success for U-235, wishes the schnorkel
U-565 sank the British light cruiser NAIAD in May 1942, a delegation of the sister boat U-230;
British destroyer PARTRIDGE, and in November 1943, two (Two – Three – Hole).”
unidentified British submarines.
Helmut Friedrich
EDITOR NOTE – On 15 November 1943, U-565 ObLt (ING) and LI
fired at a submarine and heard a detonation of her
first torpedo at 3 minutes 42 seconds and it is Walter Rau
probable that this accounted for the loss of HMS Ober Masch Maat
SIMOON which went missing at this time. They Hanno Brumotte
heard what was probably end of run detonation of Maat
13 minutes for the second torpedo. The second
attack on a British submarine came on 20 U-230
November 1943 and there is no confirmation.
U-230 was commissioned 24 October 1942 and originally
U-565 was docked in Salamis Harbor during the time when the commanded by KL Seigmann. U-230 operated in the North
engineer and other members of the crew visited and trained Atlantic and one mission of mine laying in Chesapeake Bay.
aboard U-235 during May. The luck Waldmar Jahn wished was On 5 December 1943, U-230 broke through Gibraltar and
not to be, for his boat U-565 was bombed by Allied forces and operated in the Mediterranean sinking several landing craft, and
damaged so severely that it was decommissioned and scuttled in a sub chaser PC-558 at Anzio.
Salamis harbor. Five men were lost during the bombing.
ObLt z.S. Erbach took command on 17 August. Four days later
th the boat was scuttled in Toulon Harbor after severe damage
June 11 , 1944
from an air attack. U-230 carried the emblem of the 9th flotilla
in Brest. A detailed story of U-230 can be found in Herbert
“With the help of U-235, we have become
Werner’s “Iron Coffins”.
enthusiastic Schnorkelers! Our thanks for the
friendly reception! With the schnorkel we will This well researched piece on the history of U-235 will
intensify battle with the enemy again! continue next page and the new feature regarding
….Also in the Mediterranean.” Argentina’s place in World War II (and beyond) will
continue further on in this issue.
Johan Oswald Prior Lt (ING) and LI U-967 (Brandi)
PAGE 7
KTB #209
 The Story of U-235 (continued)
Happy Birthday! June 20th, 1944
Members celebrating their birthdays in August include:
“U-235 the past master of the high art of schnorkeling
2nd DARCY BIRKHOLZ (864-1988) already has a glorious background and by her
2nd GARY ZIMMERMANN (2595-LIFE-1992) constant activity and security rendered new
He rode USS ATULE (SS 403) possibilities and impetus to the submariners. Future
4th MARTIN FERNANDEZ (6522-2002) results may be on the credit of U-235. Long live the
Currently serving, US Army in Korea ‘old sister’ U-235!”
5th TOM FYDRYK (5289-LIFE-1997) Dipl ING Rubnitz KL (ING) in Agru-Front training
7th PAUL DeBacco (7321-2008)
8th JOHN DRAGO (6798-2004) USN SeaBee “Commanding officer is permitted to pass on
9th Captain ALFRED McLAREN PhD (5835-1999) schnorkel experiences at the Agru-Nord”
Skipper USS QUEENFISH (SSN 651),
President Emeritus Explorer’s Club
(One wonders how many successful schnorkel attacks were a result
11th BILL DUNN (1019-1989)
of skills gained from the crew of U-235)
15th DOUG COOK (6013-2000)
17th CHRIS WILLS (1935-A/LIFE-1991) USCG (Ret)
19th CHARLES SWEENEY (7121-2006) USN SeaBee June 29th, 1944
23rd G. FRANK REYNOLDS (4935-1996)
26th CHRIS HARRIS (6422-2001) “The OKM Ost (Naval High Command East) was
27th JAMES KENNEDY (6284-2001) arguing about the loading time of the schnorkels.
Radarman in WW II aboard LCI-425 They did not leave the matter open as they delegated
28th YOYA KAWAMURA (1739-LIFE-1991) two representatives. With love they schnorkeled a
Sharkhunters Far Eastern Representative
loading time which may be considered timeless.”
28th TILMAN HESS (5817-LIFE-1999)
Attorney, son of H-G HESS (125-+-1985)
P.H. Mohdieck Marine Ober ING. Dipl (ING) Hundt .
29th HAROLD ‘Butch’ GAY (286-1987) Chopper pilot and
nephew of Ens. GEORGE GAY (3300-+-1993)
Schnorkel “loading time” was not defined at this writing.
29th Admiral FELIX GROMOV (2542-1992)
Chief of Russian Navy (Retired)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you from our more than 7,300 Members No date
in 76 countries, and we wish you MANY MORE!
“Whether the LI is iron
Remember – we don’t know your birthday until you tell us. No, it hard or soft, both steering
was NOT on your Membership application – you must tell us. deep – Bad.”
And no, it not ‘special people’ who are mentioned here – it is any
and all Sharkhunters Members who tell us their birthday. Rachner
ObLt (ING)

Membership PRIDE!
Wolka
Lt (ING)

Gagenmüller
JANE RITTER (7334-2008) is a new Member, and she wanted to Lt (ING
get some beautiful, rare hand signed prints and to help the U-Boot-
Ehrenmal too, so she ordered two. Here is what she emailed: Rachner served aboard U-410 which operated from February 1942
to its end in Toulon Harbor March 1944. It is assumed Rachner
“The beautiful prints arrived today!! Many thanks for was with the Toulon based group which visited U-235 during the
sending them so quickly and I appreciate receiving the summer of 1944. Unlike Hela, Toulon was not an oasis of peace
free print. I wish I had discovered Sharkhunters a during 1944.
long time ago. I wonder how many great monthly
issues I have missed. The latest one has been read The reference of the “LI” being hard or soft; U-235 was fitted with
completely and I’m anxiously waiting for the next one. Anskonia’s “Iron LI” once in the eastern training front at Hela.
Thanks for your finding the former U-Boat crews This refers to a rudder device. LI is also the chief engineer, so
and giving them the credit they so earnestly deserve.” there’s a pun. Apparently, at certain depths the rudder
improvements were not evident to Rachner.
Information on how your purchase of any of our hand-signed prints ____________________________
with the signature of HANS-GEORG HESS (125-+-1985) on it is
on page 41 of KTB #208 last month. We will send 25% of the Follow this well researched piece as it continues on the next page.
purchase price from now until 31 July to the German U-Boat
Memorial in the name of HANS-GEORG HESS.
PAGE 8 KTB #209
July, 1944 U-445 was commissioned 30 May 1942 and commanded by ObLt
z.S. Fenn, then ObLt z.S. Graf v. Treuberg after 11 January 1944.
“I came, I saw, I schnorkeled!”
U-445’s early career involved operations in the North and Central
Atlantic, later off Gibraltar, Freetown and the Gulf of Guinea. As
Kronenberg with a number of submarines during the spring and summer of
1943, U-445 suffered an outbreak of diphtheria. (KL Klaus Becker,
ObLt (ING) former C.O. of U-235 also suffered the same on his U-360).
Trainer II U.L.D. Karl-Heinz Peter transferred from U-445 to become an instructor
at Hela. U-445 went on to an anti invasion patrol and was lost
Kronenberg’s last assignment was on with all hands by depth charges from the British frigate LOUIS.
U-555 which served as a training
boat for its entire 52 month career. U-445 carried the emblem of Rendsburg on the tower and the
U-555 was commissioned January, 1941 and was sunk in insignia of a buffalo on their hats, both originated from Fenn and
“Operation Deadlight” in 1945. crew, 1942.
The U.L.D. (U-boot-Lehrdivision) was a training group located in
Gotenhafen. Graduates from the two U.L.D. groups went to U-235 July, 1944
and others for advanced training in Hela in the Baltic Sea (northern
area of Poland). “Through U-235 we became
new and enthusiastic
July, 1944 schnorkelers. Hearty thanks
“It is a great pleasure to meet officers of the old and to the commander and crew!”
proven 6th Flotilla again! To the commander and crew of
the first schnorkel Schroeder
Lt (ING) and LI
boat, always a happy
voyage. Break your Karl-Heinz Schober
mast and sail!” ObLt (ING)
Karl-Heinz Peter U-518
Oblt (ING) Shown above is the original hand drawing of U-518’s emblem,
sketched as they departed the Stettin yards January, 1945. The
Now, AO Agru-Front signature of Schroeder and its C.O. Offermann are on the page.
U-445 U-518 was commissioned 25 April 1942 and commanded by FK
Brechmann, but for the balance of her career the C.O. was ObLt
z.S. Offermann.

This Type IXC boat ran training exercises in the Baltic during the
summer of 1942 and later went to Canada where she landed an
agent in New Brunswick on 9 November 1943. During the
summer of 1943, U-518 ran operations in the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and Panama.
EDITOR NOTE – PETE PETERSEN (1113-1989)
rode this boat for one patrol.

The men of U-518, now under Offermann, took schnorkel training

aboard U-235 then embarked for the next mission off cape Hatteras
August 1944. While schnorkeling there she torpedoed the SS
GEORGE ADE which survived to be sunk by a storm shortly after
the attack.
(We will report more on the sinking of GEORGE ADE when this
series continued next month in KTB #210.)

KTB #209 PAGE 9

 20 Years Ago in our KTB Argentina’s Place in the War (cont’d)
As reported in KTB #206, HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983)
KTB #43 was published September 1987 and we were going ahead went to Argentina on a very special mission. We are now able to
to create an archive here in the USA. I also reported that I had left divulge the reasons for the expedition and what was learned.
my job as Vice President of a large company in Chicago with a Remember, anything that would cause harm to anyone still living
nice salary, to more the Sharkhunters operation to Florida and is either masked or is withheld. We continue with the report by
devote all my time to preserving this history. My wife of just two HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) from page 6.
years KAY COOPER (161-LIFE-1985) thought I was crazy – we
were expecting our first child in November. She thought it was
probably a really stupid decision on my part. A Large German School
For years USS SILVERSIDES (SS 236) was docked at Navy Pier
in Chicago and past mayors loved having this historic boat there,
and charged the organization that ran it a mere one dollar per year
for the dock space. Then came Mayor Harold Washington, a man
of great controversy, and he decided that one dollar per year was
not enough – and he demanded $40,000 per year! It was rumored
that Mayor Harold had some friends who needed that dock space
for commercial boats…..but that was only a rumor; the same for
the stories that Mayor Harold liked to run around wearing a bra
and women’s panties – but again, an unproven rumor. It turned out
to be great for SILVERSIDES that she had to move, and she went
across Lake Michigan to the town of Muskegon, where she sits
today in a great museum area and is lovingly maintained.

We reprinted the report of 18 June 1942 by the US Naval Attaché

at Tangier about the loss of the French submarine SURCOUF. We
reported the death on 3 June 1987 of HERBERT SCHULTZE
(191-+-1986). HORST HASLAU (167-+-1986) was Radioman
aboard U-1230 when they dropped off two agents on the coast of You are beginning to comprehend the magnitude of this discovery
Maine, including our friend ERICH GIMPEL (884-1988). by looking at the area that is so much like Bavaria as well as the
HORST sent us a huge packet of information with drawings, construction of the buildings – very much like Bavaria. In this little
photos etc. of that landing. town ‘Stadt’ there is a large German school (photo above) and in
the photo below, we see also a large German cultural center.
KTB #43 was just 12 pages long and typeset on a typewriter.

And the German Cultural Center

Membership PRIDE!
On page 40 of KTB #208 last month, we published the complaints
of IAN WALLACE (7177-2007) in which he claimed HARRY
COOPER (1-LIFE-1983), Sharkhunters President, was making a
fortune and he complained that he had not received his eKTB for
some months and he complained about that too – but he had
changed his email address and didn’t bother to tell Sharkhunters.
He was offered the chance to be honorable and apologize for his
errors, but he did not. DON NEAR (7317-2008) emailed:

“I just finished reading 208. What a job you do, Harry.

I can’t believe that meathead that thinks you or
anyone else for that matter have a money machine
going down there. I ran a newspaper pressroom for
many years and I know what goes into printing a
magazine of the quality of the KTB magazine and also
Please keep in mind that there are not old photos taken years ago.
all the hours it takes to do it, so I thank you for that. These photos were taken January this year – 2008.
Some people are such morons at times, but there will
always be a few. I also thank you for taking the time Warsteiner beer is one of my favorite beers – when I am in Austria
to email me – I forgot you are the head honcho there or Germany but imagine my surprise when I saw Warsteiner beer
and it is indeed rare to hear from the head man.” sold in many places in ‘Stadt’. One may wonder why this excellent
beer from Germany is so popular in the outback of Patagonia.
Member’s comments, questions and suggestions are always Keep reading, you’ll find that this gets more and more interesting.
welcome here and we try to reply in a timely manner. (continued next page)

PAGE 10 KTB #209

We continue with HARRY’s report: There is so much about this little town that doesn’t make sense in
______________________________ the normal way. For instance, just prior to the war, a very large and
very expensive hotel was built just outside ‘Stadt’. Why would
Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t speak Spanish at all, so anyone build such a magnificent hotel at such a little town so far
when I went to dinner with two Argentine friends, I figured they away from any other towns? Far away from ANYTHING…….
would get stuck translating the menu for me. That’s me on the left,
NAHUEL COCA (7304-2008) in the center and noted historian,
researcher and author ABEL BASTI (7305-2008) on the right.

Perhaps a more pertinent question would be – why would General

Dwight Eisenhower be interested in this hotel and this town? There
is a photo of him standing in front of this hotel apparently before
he was President and if so, then the photo would have been taken
sometime before 1952. Remember – this is out in the wilderness.
The owner of the hotel was a man of about 75 years, tall with blue
eyes and hair that once was blond before it went white. He could
not speak English well at all and I have no Spanish so we stumbled
along with the menu – the owner speaking, NAHUEL translating
into English – then an idea popped into my head. Since I do speak
German fairly well, I asked the owner in German if he had an
English menu. He replied, in German, that he did not – but we
went on speaking in German for about two minutes. Then I asked
him, in German, why he spoke such good German.

OH! He looked startled for a moment, then stammered out that he

was really Swiss. Okay, we’ll believe that…………

The owner and his friend, obviously an Argentinean, played and

sang for us. He played an accordion and his friend played the
guitar, and they sang typical gaucho songs in Spanish. It was 8pm
and we were the only three customers in the restaurant, so I asked
him if he would play the Matrosen Lied – the sailor’s song that
tells how they are sailing to attack England. No, sorry – he didn’t
know that song. Okay, I went back to the table and the owner
continued to play and sing the gaucho songs. What idiot would take a photo of a parking lot – of the pavement
of a parking lot? I guess I’m that idiot, but if you travel Germany
About ten minutes later, I was jerked back to reality as I heard a much, you will recognize these paving stones – they are used all
very familiar tune and I began to sing along. It WAS the Matrosen over Germany and Austria for street and parking lot paving. But
Lied! He went all the way through that song, then moved directly this photo was taken at another luxury hotel in Chile – also very far
into the Panzer Lied – the song of the armored divisions. away from anything else.
He smiled when he saw the startled look on my face – he smiled, We’ll look at this hotel in KTB #210 next month; this hotel where,
gave me a ‘thumbs up’ and continued. For a Swiss, he sure knew until recently, hundreds of veterans came together every year on 20
his German military marches…..and the food was great too. April. You can probably guess why. If not, we’ll tell you.
KTB #209 PAGE 11
 NOW AVAILABLE in North America!
15 Years Ago in our KTB
Finally, you can purchase EXECUTION FOR DUTY, written by
PETER HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) from Amazon Books. KTB #97 was published some 15 years ago and we were running
the memories of GERD RICHTER (214-+-1986), the radioman
aboard U-81 under FRIEDERICH GUGGENBERGER (269-+-
1987) when they sank the aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL in
the western Mediterranean. We were also running the story by
Captain ARTHUR MOORE (533-1988) about the United States
Merchant Marine in World War II.

LOU HANSEN (2587-1992) reported that apparently there was an

early-war action between USS R-1 (SS 78) and an unidentified
German U-Boat off Bermuda on 16 April 1942. We listed all the
U-Boats that were in the area NW of Bermuda and east of Cape
Hatteras and wondered which boat it could have been. We also
listed all the boats off the American East Coast in early 1942.

PETER HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) covered Stalin’s dogged,

blind view that despite evidence that BARBAROSSA was coming,
he would not believe it. PETER goes into the reasons why Stalin
refused to believe the obvious.

This book is the factual, dramatic, fascinating,

intriguing thriller for demanding, curious readers Lager Siegfrieg…..Rottach am Egern
looking for historical accuracy. New startling and
We were trying to learn details about this place – we believe it had
humane insights from the very inside! Makes a
plenty to do with the escape route of thousands who flew Europe.
wonderful present for all people and veterans alike. It is mentioned in the book “Escape from the Bunker”.

We continued the story about R-Boats by ALFRED NUESSER

(1092-+-1989). He rode the R-Boats from the Caucasus to the

CLASSIFIED AD Mediterranean. We gave a short history of the battleship HMS

MALAYA which was seriously damaged by U-81 in the same
attack that sank HMS ARK ROYAL. Dr. HEINZ SCHLICKE
Handmade Replica Metal and Enamel (1820-1991) was one of the scientists that the US grabbed up in
Operation PAPERCLIP and he gave us insights into the ride

U-Boat Cap Devices across the Atlantic in U-234.

Dr. JUDE STACKPOLE (1334-+-1990)

www.uboatemblems.com was vigorously digging into the codes
used and especially the Triton code, which
[email protected] was not broken by the Allies but the Allies
had the code. To any intelligent person,
Classified ads bring results! Contact us for the rates. that would indicate that someone on the
inside either gave or sold these codes to
the Brits. JUDE wondered if Admiral
Canaris (right) was so anti-Hitler that he

COPYRIGHT Reminder could also be anti-German. JUDE never

got to the end of his search. He was riding
his motorcycle on a bright, sunny
Saturday morning and someone blew
As always, there is great history on the pages of our KTB through a stop sign and killed him instantly. When we asked
Magazine. Please remember that each and every one of our JUDE’s son, a lawyer, for copies of JUDE’s research papers he
Sharkhunters KTB Magazines is copyrighted and everything in told us that he just ‘threw all that junk out’ so we’ll never know.
each and every issue is also copyrighted.
We were running more of the long piece by VICTOR HAWKINS
(1364-+-1990) on the Royal Navy submarines. There was more of
Back to Germany, Austria, Poland the essay ‘Conduct of the War at Sea’ written by Großadmiral
Karl Dönitz. We announced that MANFRED ROEDER (1517-
1990) had just become a grandfather! We gave the specifications
Start saving up your vacation days – Sharkhunters are returning to for the French submarine SURCOUF and a photo.
olde Europe on two Patrols in 2008. On the “Southern Patrol” we
visit Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. On the KTB #97 was typeset by Pen Harms on a computer, 28 pages in
“Northern Patrol” we visit Germany and Poland. Details are in length but by being typeset on a computer, we got more onto 28
this issue and also on the website now. pages than we did before on a typewriter-set KTB of 32 pages.
PAGE 12 KTB #209
 My name is Eva Kor. I am a twin who at age 10 survived Dr.
from REMBRANDT Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz. Fifty-four years ago the
world didn’t know about me or the truth of what was being done to
us. For the past month I have been exposed to a systematic
It is best to begin this section with an idea of what you will read distortion of the facts and truth for the purpose of sensationalism, a
here. Very simply – who did and who did NOT die in Germany at personal vendetta and a sick political agenda. This attack has been
the end of the war and who did or did not die in South America. conducted by ‘Der SPIEGEL’ and a reporter by the name of
Bruno Schirra – a vindictive grandson of a holocaust survivor.
Our S.E.I.G. Agent REMBRANDT was in the Spook World until his
recent retirement, and he sent
EDITOR NOTE – Der SPIEGEL is a very large
us a very thick file compiled
by other professional agents on magazine in Germany. Spiegel means mirror.
Dr. Josef Mengele. You will
read that many governments It is beyond me to understand how a beautiful meeting of two
closed the file on Mengele adversaries, namely Dr. Münch, an SS doctor from Auschwitz and
when it was reported that he me, a survivor, could be misconstrued to be anything other than
was swimming in the Pacific what is was. We met in Auschwitz in January 1995. We hoped to
Ocean off Chile, suffered a heal the pain, teach the truth and to prevent prejudice. I harmed
massive stroke and drowned. Dr. Münch by inviting him to Auschwitz and exposing him to a
reporter like Bruno Schirra who cannot accept that there was one
Mengele’s home in Hönhof, Paraguay decent human being who was an SS doctor in Auschwitz.
Please keep in mind also that these reports were compiled mostly With the help of my sister in Israel, I located 122 individuals who
by ‘Nazi hunters’ so you may have to excuse some of the rhetoric. were surviving Mengele twins. We, the surviving Mengele twins,
Okay – that being said, we begin. were the darlings of the media. That ‘glory’ did not last long. In
June 1985 a bunch of dry bones was dug up in Embu, Brazil. A
team of many forensic experts from the USA, Brazil, Germany and
Peter xxxx 5 December 2007 Israel studied the badly crushed dry bones for a total of 14 days
and then issued a statement to the press that they were 99% sure
This will be complex to explain and I fear this thread will be these were Josef Mengele’s bones. We survivors were not part of
attacked by the Borg. I have sent off some emails and will have this investigation and had no input, nor were our opinions sought.
more information shortly – I hope. It is a complex story to unfold
and it will take some days to post all the relevant information. In 1992 the final report of the Mengele investigation was issued by
the U.S. Justice Department. This is a 600 page report titled:
First, I met in Los Angeles Tony xxx xxxxxx and his wife Suzanne “In the Matter of Josef Mengele, a Report to
at a Christic Institute event. Tony was Dutch and during World the Attorney General of the United states”
War II, an intelligence officer for the Free Dutch Forces and a Nazi
Hunter. I told him about my uncle Raphael (the man who coined On page 169 it states: “It was learned that Karl-Heinz (Mengele’s
the word Genocide, wrote Genocide Convention, legal expert at nephew and stepson) and Hans Sedelmeier (the Mengele family
Nürnberg) and we started to talk. He told me about how he and his attorney) met with Dr. Münch after the date of Mengele’s
wife were hired by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles, to purported death. They wanted to ascertain his opinion concerning
find Josef Mengele and how they found him alive (after the CIA, Mengele’s chances of acquittal if he were put on trial. Münch told
USG, Press, Posner and others had reported him dead). Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz that he had no doubt that Mengele
would be found guilty. Not surprisingly, Dr. Münch assumed from
Parts of my email are private, but this is a portion from 2005: the conversation that Josef Mengele was alive and his whereabouts
were known to Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz Mengele.
Dear Peter,
Indeed, this is a voice from the past. We do remember meeting After reading this, I thought to myself – So the Mengele family
you than at Jan’s home and giving you the first day ‘Kennedy went to see Dr. Münch to ask him if Josef Mengele’s corpse would
Murder’ copies of TIME, LIFE etc. be found guilty or innocent. Absurd! I determined I must verify
I’m now 85 years old and quite invalid (on night oxygen due to this by finding Dr. Münch and talking to him.
the altitude here) and can no longer drive etc. but fortunately, I can
still hear, see and think. In 1990 we left California for Holland I asked Dr. Münch about Josef Mengele and the visit of Karl-Heinz
where we stayed until 2000 and returned here to xxxxxxx. Mengele and Hans Sedelmeier. He said, They came to see me two
When I retired and left Holland I donated all my research to times to ask me if Josef Mengele would be found guilty. I
them. They have an incredible collection of information, interrupted him and said Josef Mengele is already dead, wasn’t he?
particularly on the US, for international researchers like you. No, Sedelmeier replied. He was alive and well in 1982 but he is
KTB #209 tired of hiding. (continued next page)
PAGE 13
 10 Years Ago in our KTB Died……..or Escaped (continued)
Before we continue here, let’s see if we have this correct. The
The sad front cover of KTB #135 governments of the world, USA and Germany among them, had
had that famous photo of OTTO declared Josef Mengele was dead prior to 1979 but this lady spoke
KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985), with Mengele’s lawyer and his stepson – and they both confirmed
the top submarine Skipper of any that Mengele was alive in 1982 – some three years after he was
navy in WW II. “Silent” OTTO declared dead? Remember – it was also major world governments
had just been killed in a terrible that publically proclaimed that Hitler and Bormann were both dead
accident aboard a cruise boat on in Berlin in the days before the Red Army overran Berlin – but
the Donau River near München. privately, acknowledged that they did not die then or there. Okay,
He and Mrs. Kretschmer were let’s continue with what Eva Kor learned. She continues:
celebrating their 50th wedding
anniversary and on 3 August Ithought to myself;
1998 he fell down the stairs, hit ‘Wow! That means Josef Mengele was alive in 1982’
his head and went into a coma
from which he didn’t recover. He If that is true, he could not be buried in Embu, Brazil, and those
died two days later on 5 August. bones that were buried in 1979 and dug up in 1985 could not be
his. I still wonder where Dr. Mengele is today and what happened
The making of the two Pearl Harbor scapegoats (Admiral Kimmel to our Auschwitz files.
and Major General Short) prepared by FRANK WEINGART
(842-1988) put a spotlight on how the two officers were set up to NOTE from Peter xxxxx – Posner of the CIA said
take the heat for the ‘surprise’ attack by the Japanese at Pearl Mengele was buried in Embu – case closed.
Harbor. There was more on the actions – and demise, of U-162.

There was a trip report from our 1998 “Northern Patrol” with Appendix from the government report on Mengele 169
photos, of course. (He) refused to take part in the diabolical selection process at
Auschwitz, was acquitted of war crimes by the Government of
PETER’s PERISCOPE by PETER Poland in 1947. It was learned that Karl-Heinz Mengele
HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) covered Count (Mengele’s nephew and stepson) and Hans Sedelmeier met with
Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg (photo Münch after the date of Mengele’s purported death. According to
right) and his failed coup attempt. His Münch, Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz wanted to obtain Münch’s
brother, Count Berthold Schenk von opinion concerning Mengele’s chances of acquittal if he were put
Stauffenberg was caught up in the web and on trial. Munch told Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz that he had no
even though he had nothing to do with the doubt that Mengele would be found guilty.
plot, he suffered the same fate at the end of
a strand of piano wire. PETER also Not surprisingly, Münch assumed from the conversation that Josef
revealed the involvement of Britain’s MI-5 Mengele was alive and his whereabouts were known to Sedelmeier
in this and other failed attempts on Hitler’s life – they supplied the and Karl-Heinz Mengele.
plastic explosives that were used.
In addition, Israeli investigators uncovered a letter dated 8 March
The KTB Magazine at that time was 28 pages in length and done 1979, approximately one month after Josef Mengele’s purported
on a computer. death. This letter was typewritten by Almuth Mengele, Rolf’s
wife, to Josef Mengele on the occasion of what she thought to be
his 69th birthday. In the letter, she wished her father-in-law a

Plastic Surgery
happy birthday and described new developments in the life of her
family. In the normal course of correspondence between the
Mengele family and the fugitive, this letter would have been sent
(directly or indirectly) to the Bosserts for delivery to Josef. Before
mailing the letter, son Rolf added a handwritten postscript to this

Clinic….in 1945
letter, which was addressed to the Bosserts. He noted that he had
learned of his father’s death.

Next, as is well known to the JFK Research community, Posner is

I guess we forgot to mention – when we were in the little town of a creature of the CIA and IMO and that most other good JFK
‘Stadt’, we found a large hotel that was built in 1945, the last year Researchers spouts knowingly false US Intelligence and
of the war. However, this place was not built initially as a hotel. It Government lies on the events of Dallas 11/22/63. Like John
was built as a plastic surgery clinic in 1945 – the last year of the McCloy and Allen Dulles, Mr. Posner is a Wall Street lawyer.
war – in this little town – far away from just about everything. When his book appeared on JFK, I didn’t have to open it to know
it was CIA disinformation, as I knew already of his misleading and
It seemed like every time we found the answer to one riddle, five CIA-figleaf book on Mengele.
more unsolved riddles popped up……...and we could see that there
was almost no end to the history we were uncovering.
We can begin to see actual proof that much of what governments publish
You will continue to be amazed at what we learned. Do you want
publically is not always the honest history. More on this next month.
to come with us next time? Keep reading………..
KTB #209
PAGE 14
 From VINCENT APOSTOLICO (5896-C-1999)
Early operations in the Mediterranean demonstrated that
engagements between surface vessels, despite being spectacular,
rarely provided definitive effects. Soon it was demonstrated that
control of the sea corresponded to dominance in the air. Therefore,
the Regia Aeronautica had to bear ever heavier responsibilities.

Since the beginning, aerial attack on ships was conducted by

bombers which, despite being highly accurate, lacked enough
destructive power thus demonstrating the disproportion between
the means and the results.

On 27 August 1940, Lieutenant Buscaglia conducted the first

Fairey SWORDFISH…..the ‘Stringbag’

Italian attack employing a torpedo, thus making operational the
most dangerous attack weapon against the Royal Navy.

The first experimental launches of airborne torpedoes dated back Meantime the ‘Reparto Sperimentake Aerosiluranti’ (Experimental
to 1914. Nevertheless, Italy entered the war without a single torpedo bomber group) assembled in Gorizia at the beginning of
squadron of torpedo launchers. At the end of World War One, 1940 received the Savoia Marchetti SM.79 which, although not
attempts to employ aerial torpedoes were not successful due to originally designed as a torpedo bomber, was a strong, fast and
inadequate equipment, faulty techniques and limited support from maneuverable aircraft, far superior to the British SWORDFISH.
the military hierarchy, experiments continued. Several aircraft During the entire conflict, the British ‘Gobbo Maledetto’ (Damn
were used from the Caproni Ca.33 to the Macchi M.24 and the Hunchback, so named for the unusual shape of the fuselage)
very latest S.55. Later on, experimentation continued on the Cant became the standard aircraft used by all torpedo bomber squadrons
Z.506 with the dual role of torpedo bomber and bomber, even representing an insidious & dangerous presence for Allied ships.
though the time of the flying boat had already reached its azimuth.
The Savoia Marchetti SM.79 was designed during the mid-1930’s
as a military version of the civilian transport SM.79P. This tri-
motor, with a mixed superstructure (wood and metal) won several
speed and endurance records thanks to its 750 hp Alfa Romeo 126
RC.34 engines.

The military version was equipped with three 12.7mm and one
7.7mm machine guns. Ordnance included bombs loaded into an
internal bomb bay plus two torpedo supports under the wings. It
Tri-motor CANT Z.506 was first used in combat during the Spanish Civil War where it
demonstrated high maneuverability and speed even though it was
too light and at times, unstable. It was capable of continuing flying
Meantime, the war had already started and during the encounter off with just two engines, capabilities which were of great use during
Calabria, British torpedo bombers made their foray into the engine failures. Excellent also was the ability of the plane to float,
Mediterranean aboard aircraft carriers. Despite lack of success, it giving the crew time to bail out in case of a forced sea landing.
was possible to anticipate the potential of this terrible new weapon.
Confirmation of this potential was dramatically evident the night On 10 August 1940 after a summary preparation, the only five
of 11 November 1940 when British SWORDFISH launched from SM.79 belonging to the ‘Reparto Sperimentake Aerosiluranti’ were
the aircraft carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS inflicted a terrible strike transferred to the airport of Ciampino, just outside Rome. From
against the Italian Fleet in the harbor of Taranto, dramatically here, they were then transferred to Al Adem, from where the first
altering the balance of power in the Mediterranean. mission against Alexandria took place. The attack, which planned
a simultaneous attack from two directions against units in port, was
EDITOR NOTE – Just two dozen SWORDFISH not very successful mostly due to the shape of the harbor itself and
(photo top next column), known to their crews as to adverse weather conditions.
‘stringbags’ devastated the Italian Fleet at Taranto;
and showed the Japanese that such an attack was In the following months, Italy created more units and refined its
entirely feasible. weapons and techniques. Meantime, making up for all the time
wasted in the previous years during 1941 the Regia Aeronautica
PAGE 15 (continued next page)
KTB #209
 Italian Torpedo Bombers (continued)

began harvesting the first results, hitting 30 units and sinking 9.

Unfortunately, the price was very high and of the 260 aircraft used,
14 were shot down and 46 damaged. Post-war statistics showed
that on average, a crew was shot down after just three missions.

Noteworthy missions took place in 1942 with the massive attack

on a Malta bound convoy, the Second Battle of Sirte mid June and
mid August with the increased activity came an even more furious
reaction from anti-aircraft units.
It is time to begin the 2008 Membership Contest!
And already we have several entrants – all are the Contest Leaders. Meantime, the Italian aeronautical industry was trying to improve
on the SM.79 by installing more powerful engines, updating
WILLIS CARTO (1059-1989) ………………………..…….. 1 onboard equipment and by increasing autonomy through the
C. W. LOHR (1247-1989) installation of fuel tanks in the bomb bay.
JOHN CHATTERTON (1818-1991)
ABEL BASTI (7305-2008) The limitations imposed by the original design of the aircraft for
civilian use were many, so in 1940 it was decided to begin working
C. W. was out to a quick and early lead but CARTO, the publisher on a successor, the Savoia Marchetti SM.84. The original design
of The Barnes Review and also the American Free Press, has was ingenious, utilizing some of the existing and highly tested
joined him as has CHATTERTON of ‘Deep Sea Detectives’ TV components already in use on the SM.79 and developing others. In
show as well as author BASTI – what about you other Members? fact, the SM.84 would have the same wing on the SM.79 but more
You gonna’ give them a challenge? There is so much you can win powerful engines, the Piaggio P.XI RO.40, capable of 1,000 hp.
in this contest – stand on it! Sorry – I used to be a racing driver. The fuselage was completely redesigned, introducing a split tail

Here are the prizes for the

thus offering more advanced defensive control. In addition, the
internal defense armament was replaced with four 12.7mm guns.

2008 Membership Contest Unfortunately, the SM.84 did not have the flying characteristics of
its predecessor and it was prone, during takeoff, to go face down
Everyone wins – for each new Member you recruit, we’ll deduct and in general, it was hard to maneuver. Despite these faults, the
$5 from your next year’s renewal dues. SM.84 was assigned to the torpedo launcher squadrons in January
1941. The 41st Stormo, so equipped, was transferred to the Aegean
If you bring at least five new Members aboard, your next year’s where it was operational until 1942 with very few positive results.
dues are FREE. For each five new Members – another free year.
During September 1941, the SM.84s of the 282nd Squadriglia
Third Prize – Free Hand-Signed Photo based in Sardinia were deployed against a convoy which had left
Gibraltar and were able to seriously damage the battleship LORD
The Member who recruits the third most new Members (minimum NELSON, a cruiser and another unit. But this missed intervention
of 10) will have their choice of any of our hand-signed photos, and by the Regia Marina made the sacrifice superfluous. Later on, a
some of them are extremely rare and quite valuable. new version of the plane, the SM.84bis was released, but without
the expected results. So in 1942, this new model was used as a
Second Prize – Free Hand-Signed Print torpedo bomber but soon after, removed from service. On 8
The Member who recruits the second most new Members (min. of September 1943, thirty SM.84s were captured by the Germans and
15) receives any of our hand-signed prints – their choice. mostly destroyed. The SM.79s survived the armistice and were
utilized by the German controlled ‘Repubblica Sociale Italiana’
GRAND PRIZE – FREE ‘PATROL’ ! until the end of the war.
___________________________
Whoever recruits the most new Members
(minimum of 20) in 2008 comes on any one of We continue with this article in KTB #210 next month and take up
our 2009 ‘Patrols’ absolutely FREE! the topic of the Italian torpedoes. Watch for it.

CHRIS BANDA (6733-2003) won the 2007

Contest and he is going on our “Southern Membership PRIDE! And some help.
Patrol” absolutely free! You can win too!
CHESTER MERCER (5742-1999) needed another eKTB #208
Please contact us if you need brochures etc. to help you tell others sent, which we did immediately. His email that followed said:
about our great Sharkhunters Membership. Do you go to militaria
or gun shows? Hand out the brochures. Your friend reads your “KTB #208 arrived as you said it would.
KTB? Sign them up with their own Membership. The possibilities Thank you for your efforts…..you head a
are absolutely endless! Don’t wait – get in the race. As you see by
great organization!!!!! I look forward to
the 2007 Membership Contest results – Members DO win!
meeting you someday.”
The green flag is up and there’s plenty of time for you. Jump in!
Members comments are always welcome.
PAGE 16
KTB #209
 thru PETER’s PERISCOPE
PETER HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) spent time working for the Abwehr (German Secret Service) during WW II.
His information is known to a mere handful of people. He gives this secret information only to Sharkhunters.

Some Member History

Altogether 1,418 naval officers passed these various commander
training and refresher courses from 1935 to 1945. This number is

And Shortages of Men

about equivalent to three entire naval academy prewar officer
classes incidentally. A total of 538 captains remained with their
sunken U-Boats or got killed while their boats were destroyed.
KARL WILHELM GRÜTZEMACHER (1367-+-1990) became Nine captains died in various kinds of accidents, four committed
a Leutnant (Ing.) on 1 January 1943 and was promoted to suicide at war’s end. Two were shot by navy peletons (Heinz
Oberleutnant (Ing.) on 1 October 1944, attached to the Class of Hirsacker and Oskar Kusch). Two were relieved of command and
1940 although not originally part of the Class. He became L.I. on reduced to the ranks……..one of these was Walter Köhntopp from
U-427, commanded by Oberleutnant Graf (Count) Karl Gabriel U-995 and the other was Oberleutnant Franzke who had
von Gudenus, Class of 1938. commanded U-3 and was later killed on a minesweeper, while
Köhntopp survived his minesweeping assignment.
U-427 was assigned to the Barents Sea Flotilla in Narvik and
surrendered there in May of 1945. I imagine GRÜTZEMACHER EDITOR NOTE – As of sometime in 2006, we were
may have been earlier a senior petty officer or petty officer for informed that Walter Köhntopp was pushing to
either diesel or electric engines on U-47, who was later given a have history revised in his favor.
commission as a so-called Volks Offizier once he participated in
additional training classes and passed the applicable examinations. Two more were summarily relieved from command as unsuitable
This was not an infrequent thing that such Obermaschinists or and transferred to shore assignments. One died on a Japanese
Obersteuermann gained commissions. Some were activated, submarine and one more on a former Italian submarine. Wolfgang
others turned into wartime service officers. Lüth was accidentally shot a week after capitulation by a guard at
night. Werner Henke was killed by guards as American POW at
But U-47 was not one of his assignments as L.I. As you may Fort Meade and Heinz Eck was shot by the British.
already know, the U-Boat Service was never able to remedy the
sometimes acute shortage of Leading Engineers (L.I.) and capable EDITOR NOTE – It was Lüth himself who issued the
Engineering Officers to be assigned eventually as Directing order to the sentries that anyone who did not return
Engineers on U-Boats. An even greater scarcity existed what the password the first time was to be shot. It was at
concerned front experienced Engineering Officers! This problem night, Lüth was deep in thought and didn’t hear the
was NEVER solved, thus Engineering Officers were often shifted challenge, so the sentry who was under command of
around on short notice to fill open positions on emergency basis
GERD THÄTER (194-+-1986) fired. Lüth was killed
but virtually all captains fought tooth and nail with the Personnel
Bureau to keep and retain such competent and front experienced instantly. An inquiry was held and found there was no
Engineering Officers and senior petty officers too for that matter. wrongdoing – it was an accident.
Henke’s death is officially listed as ‘killed while
During several periods of time, there existed likewise a shortage, escaping’ but it is hardly an escape attempt when a
though less acute, of trained commanders but this an on and off POW calmly walks to the wire on a sunny day and
situation. However, from that May of 1943 onward, also known as begins climbing. He had been tricked badly by (then)
“Black May” or the “Stalingrad at Sea”, the shortage became Captain Dan Gallery when picked up at sea and it is
greater with FRONT EXPERIENCED COMMANDERS, as thought that he was severely distressed.
increasingly more of the officers shipped to the commander’s The story of Heinz Eck is a long one, but it boils
training courses and supplementary classes were men from the down to the Brits waiting until the war was over and
surface navy, from land commands, former naval air force chaps
got their POWs back so there could be no retaliation
and officers who had been serving in staff positions mainly.
from Germany, then putting Eck on trial but telling him
if he swore at his trial that Großadmiral Dönitz ordered
EDITOR NOTE – About a year ago, we ran a
all U-Boat Skippers to machine gun men in the water,
series on the more than 100 U-Boat Skippers that Eck would walk out a free man. Eck realized that
who were initially fliers in the Kriegsmarine. this would doom Dönitz to the gallows and since there
was no such order, he was honorable and at the cost
There were only numerically suitable replacements, NEVER on of his own life, he said there was no such order.
the needs of experience & competency in operating front U-Boats.
Many of them no doubt good men, but because of lacking front Furthermore, one must realize that not each and everyone of these
experience, they were doomed for practical purposes and had 1,418 officers actually were assigned as U-Boat captains, much
barely even a chance to bring back a U-Boat from a single first less front U-Boat commanders for various reasons and due to
patrol…..just surviving, not to mention any sinkings of course. different circumstances, apart from ability and competency
compared to passing examinations and training classes of course,
KTB #209 to evaluate these statistical figures and numbers properly!
PAGE 17
 Peacetime Submarine Disasters PETER’s PERISCOPE (continued from prev. page)

by CHESTER L. SOMMERS (5569-1998) Naturally, those wounded and injured on operations but who later
on recovered are not included in these numbers but there were
There were no submarines lost due to accidents in 1944 or 1945;
quite a few such officers also; some returned after hospitalization
those were the height of the war years and most of the world’s
to U-Boat service; others were declared medically no longer fit for
submarines were in the war so any losses there would be combat
U-Boat service and transferred to either training class jobs or
losses and not accidental.
similar shore assignments if they were also no longer able to pass
medical examinations for surface navy assignments.
5 December 1946, the 256 ton French submarine ex U-2326 was
lost to unknown causes off Toulon, France to unknown causes.
In this connection one must also remember that quite a few,
The water depth is not known and the boat was not salvaged. The
especially of the older Reichsmarine prewar officers who became
entire crew of 26 men were lost. This boat was a German Type
U-Boat commanders had to be reassigned after a limited number of
XXIII that was surrendered in a British port in May 1945 and was
war patrols as those were simply too demanding for men over
renamed HMS N.35 in the Royal Navy in 1945 then given to the
thirty roughly. Many developed ulcers and similar stomach or
French in 1946.
digestive tract problems because of the canned food and restricted
as well as repetitious diet that was provided– for lack of fresh food,
27 June 1946, 1,290 ton Spanish submarine C-4 was accidentally
meat, vegetables and fruit etc.
rammed while running submerged by the Spanish destroyer
LEPANTO eight miles off Soller in the Balearic Islands of Spain.
To mention just a few things, often not realized or conveniently
The boat went down in 1,000 feet of water and was not salved. All
forgotten these days, somebody with bleeding ulcers is not
46 men were lost. No boats were lost during 1947 and 1948.
generally a man able to concentrate painfully and strongly, to say
the least. Eating not much else but soup and scrambled egg dishes
Here is the running total of submarines lost in peacetime since the
from powdered eggs likewise, is not the most successful way to
beginning of submarine history.
treat such health problems. Additionally, many of these same
older officers also developed eye troubles and poor eyesight
England – 21 France – 15 USA – 14 Germany – 8
problems on account of the strain and the climatical conditions. If
one can’t see clearly through a periscope, it is almost impossible to
Russia – 8 Japan – 7 Italy – 3 Netherlands – 3
command a U-Boat much less operate it in operational actions.
Chile – 1 Denmark – 1 Sweden – 3 Spain – 1
With reference to U-572 and Kapitänleutnant Heinrich ‘Heinz’
Hirsacker who had also been II. W. O. and I. W. O. on U-124
under WILHELM SCHULZ (162-+-1986) I should add that

Meeting our Members

Hirsacker sunk the following ships:
16 April 1942 DESERT LIGHT 2,368 GRT Panamanian
20 April 1942 EMIRE DRYDEN 7,164 GRT British
7 August 1942 DELFSHAVEN 5,281 GRT Dutch
7051-2006 TOM MANNING US
7052-2006 JAMES MOORE US ‘Heinz’ Hirsacker commanded U-572 on six war patrols before he
7053-2006 GEORGE McAFEE US was relieved and court martialed.
7054-2006 LYNDSEY HAMM US
7055-2006 WILLIAM SAURER US As you know, after the war the British and later also the Americans
His uncle is PAUL SAURER (296-1987) set up and organized the various German Mine Sweeping Services.
7056-2006 MICHAEL WARD US Initially, the British simply took over still existing mine sweeping
7057-2006 MICHAEL TOMKOVITCH US flotillas and R-Boat flotillas under the command of Rear Admiral
7058-2006 JAMES DOUBLE US Hans Bütow, later also Vice Admiral Friederich Rüge. In some
7059-2006 ROBERT BONSTEAD US cases, the entire crews with officers were retained but in others, a
7060-2006 WAYNE TECHET US part preferred to get moved to POW camps rather than sweeping
7061-2006 DAVID FIELD US mines, a rather ingrateful task.
7062-2006 JOHN BAGBY US
Former crewman aboard P.3 ORION The British filled up the empty spots with volunteers from various
7063-2006 LEE WHEELER US POW camps under their direction. Sometime later similar
7064-2006 TAD COWDEN US operations were organized by the American navy too. These
7065-2006 SHAWN McCLEARY US various operations lasted for more than ten years altogether; from
7066-2006 FRANCES CARDENAS US 1945 to about 1956 when the rest was taken over and transferred
7067-2006 CHRIS CLIFFORD US into the new Bundsmarine largely. At the height of these
7068-2006 RICHARD HLUBNY US operations, there was an average of 28,000 men engaged in these
7069-2006 RYAN SHAFER US Mine Sweeping Commands in different sea areas. With other
7070-2006 REINER DÄHNERT PORTUGUAL words, this was not some small and inconsequential set up
operationally. But almost nothing is published about this and only
Is your Membership Number above 7070? If it is, please send us a very few people even know and remember these operations, as
short CV/biog about yourself. Let the Members know who you minesweeping and mine clearing is by and large, a thankless, dirty
are, what you do and what are your interests. Send a photo if you and rough work business!!
like. We’ll scan it and return it to you undamaged. In any case, ______________________________
please do not be a “one-liner”. Tell us about yourself.
(more PETER’s PERISCOPE in KTB #210 next month)
PAGE 18
KTB #209
 Here are comments from Captain ROBERT THEW (333-+-1987)

U-250
who had served with ONI until retirement, then with the NSA:
In April 1942 she began operating in the arctic and in
early May she attacked convoy PQ.15 but missed an
escort. At the end of June she was deployed against
the expected convoy PQ.17 as part of the ‘Eisteufel’
(Ice Devil) Group and on the 10th after the convoy had
scattered, she sank one ship on 5,255 tons that had
Type: VII-C been damaged earlier. In August she conducted ice
Built by: Germania Werft (Kiel) reconnaissance in the Kara Sea. In late September
Launched: 11 November 1943 she operated against Convoy QP.14 without success.
Commissioned: 12 December 1943
Feldpost Nr.: M54453
Sunk: 30 July 1944
Sunk by: Soviet submarine M-103 and possibly
assisted by sub chaser DS-910 and
Soviet aircraft
Location sunk: Koivisto Straits, Gulf of Finland
Position sunk: Unknown
(?
??? men lost)

The only Skipper of U-250 was Kapitänleutnant Schmidt. After

training and shake-down operations in the Baltic, U-250 went into
the Gulf of Finland to attack Soviet shipping but was herself sunk.
Only six of the crew were rescued.

NOTE – There is some question whether M-103

was a submarine or a sub chaser.
Kapitänleutnant Timm (white cap) looks on as
his crew is given a sendoff on a new mission.

U - 251
Type: VII-C
Ships Sunk by U-251 under Timm
03.05.42 JUTLAND
10.05.42 EL CAPITAN
Brit stmr
Pana stmr

from JU 88 bombers of III./K.G. 30 on 6 July.)

______________________________
6,153 GRT
5,255 GRT
(EL CAPITAN had been previously damaged by bombs

Built by: Bremer Vulkan (Vegesack) EDITOR NOTE – A Sharkhunters Member found
Launched: 26 July 1941 the wreck of U-251 some years ago, but keeps the
Commissioned: 20 September 1941 location secret.
Feldpost Nr.: M15758
Sunk: 19 April 1945

Welcome BULGARIA!
Sunk by: RAF aircraft from Squadrons 143, 235
and 248 assisted by Norwegian
aircraft of the 333 Squadron
Location sunk: So. of Gothenberg
Position sunk: 56º 37’ N x 11º 51 E’ When STEFAN STANCHEV (7341-2008)
(3
39 men lost) came aboard as a new Member,
BULGARIA became the 76th nation in
First C. O. of U-251 was Kapitänleutnant which there are Sharkhunters Members.
(later Korvettenkapitän) Heinrich Timm
(photo left) from commissioning until turning There are now almost 7,400 Sharkhunters
over command to Oberleutnant zur See Sack. Members in 76 countries including some countries that don’t even
Command then passed to Oberleutnant zur exist any longer.
See Joachim Sauerbier who had served
aboard U-120 and U-56 but who was killed in Which country will be the 77th nation in Membership?
action aboard U-251.
Remember, the sun is always shining on Sharkhunters Members
U-251 was first attached to the 13th U-Boat somewhere in the world.
Flottille based in Trondheim as a frontboot.
She operated heavily in Arctic waters against Allied convoys to
Russia between April 1942 and June of 1943. She took part in the
famous battle against the ill-fated Convoy PQ.17.
Sharkhunters in 76 Countries!
KTB #209 PAGE 19
 Old U-Boat Memories
bÇ XàxÜÇtÄ ctàÜÉÄ This FT about U-45 of WWI, sent to us by HANS PUSTELNIK
(7269-2007), was his father Sepp Pustelnik who wrote the original
We just learned that our good friend Major General PYOTR
BARABOLYA (1936-+-1991) of the Soviet Navy has letter to Herr Schulte. It was translated by JASON BULKELEY
(7254-2007). We continue here from KTB #208.
received his Final Orders and has begun his Eternal Patrol. ____________________________

REPORT OF RADIOTELEGRAPH OPERATOR JOSEF

PUSTELNIK on the sinking of the S.[M.]S. U-Boat [U-] 45 and
the eventual fate of both rescued personnel

On 5 September 1917, the U-45 departed on a special mission from

Helgoland harbor to the English coast. The next day, 6 September,
the U-boat sent a telegram reporting all well on board. The voyage
continued through the North Sea up to the Orkney Islands. Shortly
before reaching them, upon reaching the Pentland Firth, the U-boat
submerged and resurfaced just on the other side of the crossing.
They stayed submerged from that point, continuing northerly
around Scotland, passing the island of Saint [K]ilda. From there,
they continued to the North Channel, which separates Ireland from
Scotland and forms the entrance to the Irish Sea.

On 11 September the sub reached Ballycastle Lighthouse and came

so near to land that the crew could have thrown a stone at the
In 1992 when our Sharkhunters “Russian Patrol” was in lighthouse. Until then, no enemy ships were sighted, so the
Moscow, HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) visited with commander, “Captain Sittenfeld,” decided to return back to the
PYOTR in a rest sanatorium. No it’s not a misprint – he was North Channel, to begin a new foray into the Atlantic Ocean,
where traffic was heavier, promising a tidy haul. Around 11:00
a Major General in the Soviet Navy, but that’s another story. pm, radio telegraph operator Pustelnik intercepted and deciphered
an enemy radio transmission, the contents of which are as follows:
Farewell PYOTR my friend – fair winds and smooth seas to you. “A convoy of six supply ships from America
coming. Await escort destroyer on quadrant [I]B 50
miles NE. of the Scottish coast.”

Other Actions When the commander was handed this telegram, he immediately
decided to get ahead of the destroyers and destroy the convoy. So
he turned around again in the North Channel, passing the Irish Sea
and arriving at the agreed-upon checkpoint through the Saint
Japanese submarines George Channel. That way, he could get ahead of the enemy
destroyers on the spot by 24 hours, and be ready to get to work
completely unhindered by them.
23 December 1943, the I.J.N. submarine Ro.111 under command
of Kapitänleutnant Naozo Nakamura, sank the 7,934 ton British At around 9:00 am on the 12th, the commander, who was standing
steamer SS PESHAWUR at 11º 11’ N x 80º 11’E. watch at the tower, sighted an enemy sub far away. It wasn’t
possible to make out the exact type of ship, due to the extremely
13 March 1944, Ro.111 still under command of Kapitänleutnant turbulent sea, which was swelling from 11-12. He ordered his
Nakamura, sank the 3,962 ton Indian steamer SS EL MADINA at radio telegraph operator to send pre-arranged recognition signals
20 54’ N x 89 36’E. with his equipment to ascertain the type and to be certain that it
was an enemy ship. The presumed enemy didn’t respond, so the
These were the only actions initiated by Ro.111 or Nakamura captain ordered his telegraph operators to repeat the attempt one
during World War II. Just three months later, on 11 June 1944, more time at 1000 hours. Once again, there was no response. At
Ro.111, still under command of Nakamura, was attacked and sunk that, the captain said “good, we’ll wait some more.” His telegraph
at 00º 26’N x 149º 16’E by the destroyer USS TAYLOR (DD 468). operator called again, unsolicited, at 1100 hours, without waiting
for his commander’s orders. He kept sending the signals in
question for more than 20 minutes, again without success. At

Membership PRIDE!
12:00 noon when his watch ended, the commander proceeded
below decks, ate his lunch in peace and then lay down to rest a
little. The acting commander, Lieutenant Commander at Sea
Schmidt, took over his watch . From then on, Lieutenant
Email from Lt. Col “MAD” MAX RIEKSE (7109-2006): Commander Schmidt was at the Tower, [in addition to] the three
“Thanks for NOT being anti-German; just good men of the watch, an off-duty Chief Petty Officer, and for a short
while Pustelnik and Stoker Babbel, who would soon be off-duty.
history, research and setting the record right is
(continued in KTB #210 next month)
great. Keep up the good work.”
KTB #209
PAGE 20
 Fighter ACES
Major Creighton Chandler USMC
Lt. Col. Lewis Chick USAAF
(begun in KTB #200) Lt. Col. Chow Chi-Kei China
Ens. Robert Clark USN
We continue with the fighter ACES of the various air forces of the Lt. Col. Robert Coffey, Jr. USAAF
war. You know that a fighter pilot with five or more aerial Major J. D. Colinsworth USAAF
victories is considered an ACE. For some reason, the list of Soviet Captain Roger Conant USMC
ACES does not begin at 5 victories either but rather in the teens. Major Walter Cook USAAF
Lt. William Copeland USN
We go up one level and now alphabetically list the fighter ACES 1st Lt. Ray Crawford USAAF
credited with 6 victories: Major Harry Crim USAAF
Lt. Richard Cowger USN
Captain Charles Adams USAAF Lt. (jg) Melvin Cozzens USN (6½victories)
Lt. Col. John Alison USAAF Lt. Donald Cronin USN
Captain Stanley Adams USAAF Sergeant Wenceslas Cukr Czech
1st Lt. Lester Arasmith USAAF Captain Donald Cummings USAAF (6½victories)
Rudolph Augarten USAAF -2 Israel - 4 Captain Arthur Cundy USAAF
1st Lt. Ellis Baker USAAF Captain Edward Czarnecki USAAF
Lt. (jg) James Bare USN Lt. Merl Davenport USN
Lt. (jg) James Barnes USN 1st Lt. Barrie Davis USAAF
Lt. Col. Robert Baseler USAAF 1st Lt. Richard Deakins USAAF
Major Henry Bille USAAF 1st Lt. Cecil Dean USAAF
Major Lawrence Blumer USAAF Lt. Leslie Decew USN
Lt. (jg) Robert Blyth USN (6½victories) 1st Lt. Edwin Degraffenreid USAAF
Lt. Cdr. Arthur Brassfield USN Lt. Anthony Denman USN
Captain Elliiott Dent USAAF
1st Lt. Joseph Dillard USMC
Captain William Dillard USAAF
Captain Eugene Dillow USMC
Major Jefferson Dorroh USMC
1st Lt. Urban Drew USAAF
URBAN “BEN” DREW (4717-1996) shot down the first
Me 262 in combat. He shot down the Squadron Leader and
his wingman - and sank the largest flying boat at the time.
Captain William Drier USAAF
Captain Frank Drury USMC
The USN WILDCAT was a hot fighter Lt. (jg) Paul Drury USN (6½victories)
Cdr. Charles Brewer USN (6½victories) Captain Charles DuBois USAAF
Lt. Johnnie Bridges USN
Lt. Col. John Bright USAAF – 3 AVG – 3
1st. Lt. Harley Brown
Major Harry Brown
USAAF
USAAF
Total Number of ACES
Major Meade Brown USAAF
Lt. Cdr. Carland Brunmier USN Naturally, this is a totally Unofficial count, but so far we count:
Major George Buck USAAF FIVE aerial victories: SIX victories:
Lt. (jg) William Burchkalter USN U. S. Army Air Force – 264 38
Captain Robert Byrne USAAF U. S. Navy – 129 20
Lt. Matthew Byrnes USN U. S. Marine Corps – 37 6
Major Raymond Callaway USAAF I.J.N. Air Force – 8
Captain Richard Campbell USAAF Flying Tigers – 6 ½
1st Lt. Richard Candelaria USAAF Royal Canadian Air Force – 5
Captain Raymond Care USAAF Chinese Air Force – 3 1
Captain Kendall Carlson USAAF Royal Air Force – 2
Lt. (jg) Daniel Carmichael USN Belgian Air Force – 2
Lt. (jg) Charles Carroll USN Hungarian Air Force – 2
Major James Carter USAAF Czech Air Force – 1 1
Polish Air Force – 1
KTB #209 Soviet Air Force – 1 PAGE 21
 By BILL ROONEY (2656-2001) And what thanks did the crew of Sir Tropfrepus get for their
adventure, with probably the only pig to touch down in India? We
must remember that pigs are not known to hold back their bodily
Members of Garth Doyle’s crew “Sir Tropfrepus” when in China,
functions, especially when under stress such as making a flight
got the idea of buying a pig from one of the farmers who could be
over the Hump and being wrestled off the plane.
found on the roadways in Hsin Ching hauling this item of livestock
_____________________________
to the village in their wheelbarrows. Members of the crew
bargained with this farmer using, in addition to Chinese paper
money, a commodity much more valuable – cigarettes. The New Outhouse on the Rock
transaction was completed and the pig hauled off to the plane. It More aviation “insights” from BILL ROONEY (2656-2001)
was decided to stash the pig, properly trussed up, in the rear
unpressurized section by the putt-putt (the APU or auxiliary power The converted ‘Rock’ outhouse was a three or four holer placed
unit). This particular porker weighed between 200 and 300 over a pit. Since the entire base was built on lava rock, any
pounds. The crew used ropes to haul him through the rear access outhouse pits were necessarily not very deep.
door, which was seven to eight feet off the ground. Crewmembers
used the five or six rung ladder. Needless to say, the pig was Very early on after the 45th Heavy Bomb Group was transferred to
uncooperative and engaged in plenty of kicking and snorting. the Rock, it was determined that the pit under one of the enlisted
men’s outhouses had fulfilled its purpose and a new pit had to be
After takeoff and reaching altitude, one of the crew observed the created. Pits in lava rock were created, not dug. To accomplish
critter through the window in the bulkhead door and noticed that it the creation of a new pit, Matt, Bennie and Pop volunteered to lead
wasn’t breathing in a healthy pig manner. Garth advised the crew the effort since they were supposedly ex-miners with some
that they had a lot of yen and rupees invested in the pig in addition experience in this sort of thing. Many other volunteers with little
to many packs of cigarettes, and they better get the pig inside the or no experience in such matters also participated.
pressurized area. Meanwhile, due to some mechanical malfunction,
flight Engineer Kloster reported difficulty in maintaining cabin They got the necessary compressor, jackhammer and dynamite.
pressure at the 8,000 feet equivalent. Accordingly, crewmembers Matt Sarish said this:
were advised to don their oxygen masks – but what about the pig? “I didn’t quite agree with Pop Connors and Bennie that
Doyle reminded his crew of their investment which he didn’t we drill vertically into the rock for our charge. We
intend to lose. Reluctantly, crewmembers had to share their made one shot and only created fissures or red dust
oxygen with the pig, switching a mask from crewmember to pig, while rocking the adjacent outhouse a bit. I suggested
resulting in a joke that went
for the next shot we drill at an angle and to increase
our formula of TNT by about three sticks, which I was
“One for me, one for the pig. One sure would be much more effective. We didn’t
for me, one for the pig!” appreciate just how effective! Indeed it blew a hole in
the rock to a satisfactory depth, but it also blew the
The crew used the phrase as their inside joke long after the event. adjacent outhouses out of sight!”
___________________________

Veterans remember – we want ALL your stories of your time in

the war NO MATTER which branch of which military from
which nation – we want ALL your memories! Please send them
here and if you can enclose photographs too, all the better. We’ll
scan your photos then return them unharmed.
______________________________________

The “One for me, one for the pig” drill lasted for almost four
hours of the six hour long flight across the Hump. According to Membership PRIDE!
Kloster, the pig kicked loose and had to be rounded up and trussed
down again. From HAROLD HAUBRICH (4048-1994):
“I thoroughly enjoy your magazine. I read it all every time.”
Upon landing in Chakulia, they found some former farm boys in
the squadron to help unload the pig. However, the Flight Surgeon Regarding JOHN WALLING (7092-2006) from his daughter:
determined that the pig was unfit for human consumption and “My father, John Walling, subscribes to our KTB and
condemned it. However, these orders were circumvented and the thoroughly enjoys it! I wish he would have found your
pig was eaten anyhow, but was served only to the officers site years earlier so I could have sent him on some of
however, the Flight Engineer says it was served to all at the 4th of your trips. Now, his health will not allow it. Thanks!
July barbeque. And especially thanks for the joy you’re bringing my
father with all of your emails and publications.”
PAGE 22 KTB #209
As you see on the last page of this issue of this KTB, our January/February 2008 Expedition to Argentina and
Chile was so successful that we are going back in early 2009 and are already in the planning stages. And yes, we
need your help in the way of funding – TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations are requested. Page 44 has all details.

What was the purpose of this watchtower? Who lived at this estate?
Do you recognize these large circular objects?
FREE – we will send a commemorative History Coffee Mug to all who donate - no matter the amount;
VERY FREE – We will send Print H (hand-signed by Rear Admiral Fluckey) to all who donate $500 or more.

Be part of this historic expedition by helping us with your TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations. Details on page 44.
______________________________________________________________________

Russia’s Nuclear Fleet bÇ XàxÜÇtÄ ctàÜÉÄ

Captain ANATOLIY SMAL (2073-1991) informed us that a new
book is about to be released about the Russian nuclear Navy. It is
written by the last Supreme Commander of the Soviet Navy, Fleet We just learned that Vice Admiral Komorav began his
Admiral (five stars) VLADIMIR CHERNAVIN (2240-1992) Eternal Patrol some time ago. Komorov was the deputy in
around the end of this year. We have no word yet if it will be the Soviet Navy behind CHERNAVIN. When HARRY
released in English at that time. COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) was in Moscow in 1991,
Komorav made him welcome in the Admiralty.
When COOPER was about to leave the (then) Soviet Union,
Komorav came to COOPER’s Moscow apartment with a
fine gift…..it was a beautifully mounted AKULA Class
hunter killer submarine which at that time, was all but
unknown to any navies outside the Soviet Union.
Sail on in peace with fair winds and calm seas, Admiral
Komorav. And thanks for that beautiful gift. HARRY tells
us that is still sits proudly on his memory cabinet.

Pride on Reaching 400,000

DON NEAR (7317-2008) had this to say about Sharkhunters
CHERNAVIN (with Sharkhunters cap) left and SMAL (right) reaching 400,000 ‘hits’ on our website:
“Congratulations! That is indeed a milestone and
This photo taken in Moscow during our 1992 “Patrol in Russia”. I’m glad I’m now part of it. Keep up the good work.
It is sorely needed.”
KTB #209 PAGE 23
FREE CDs! Yes, FREE! GREAT GIFTS!
That’s right – each & every year that you renew your Membership,
you may select any one of these great CDs as your FREE GIFT. On receiving his FREE gifts for renewing rapidly, DENNIS
ACD-2 Music of the U-Bootwaffe; STOCKS (4813-1996) sent this email:
ACD-3 Music of the Wehrmacht, mostly U-Boot;
ACD-4 Italian naval music; “The CD and DVD as below arrived safely today.
ACD-5 Music of the Luftwaffe I; Thanks again. These perks of Membership are
ACD-6 German music from the war years;
thoroughly enjoyed and I watch-listen to my collection
ACD-7 Russian naval and folk music;
ACD-8 Music of the Luftwaffe II; over and over. It’s an amazing experience to listen to
ACD-9 Germany military music, mostly Kriegsmarine; those who actually made history. This is an
ACD-10 Very funny U.S. Air Force songs; astonishing resource that should be protected. Your
ACD-11 Japanese Navy music from World War II; efforts to collect and preserve this material deserve
ACD-12 Interview with ERICH TOPP (118-+-1985) the highest commendations.”
ACD-13 Interview with BOB MAHER (221-1986);
ACD-14 Sea Chanteys – Lale Anderson and original Lili Marlen; Members remember – if you send in your renewals with the
ACD-15 WASP Tales part I; (the WASP were the Women’s first reminder, you receive any of our CDs absolutely FREE.
ACD-16 WASP tales part II; Airforce Service Pilots) And if you have been a Member for five or more years, you
ACD-17 Interview with OTTO GIESE (45-+-1984); may select any of our more than 160 DVDs ALSO
ACD-18 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part I; FREE….in ADDITION to your free CD.
ACD-19 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part II;
ACD-20 Drums and Trumpets, DDR Army Band; If you are on the automatic renewal with your credit card on file,
ACD-21 Austrian Folk Music; you will never be late! So when you see on your statement that
ACD-22 Marches, DDR Army Band. your annual dues have been charged, just send us an email, a note
ACD-23 Speeches, Music and BISMARCK of just call here at HQ and tell us which you want. It IS that easy.
ACD-24 Dönitz speech and great music ____________________________________

Horton on the Fly – in Brazil?

This are all great CDs – music of the war years and before; music
from the Army Band of the DDR which no longer exists and many
interviews with veterans who are no longer with us and they are
yours FREE! Each year when you renew ON TIME, you will be
able to select any one of these (we will be adding more soon) CDs
as your free gift, and we will ship it out to you at no charge – we
even pay the shipping for your free CDs.

If you are on the automatic credit card renewal program, you’ll get
your free CD as well. When you notice the charge on your credit
card billing statement, just let us know by email, FAX or ‘snail
mail’ which CD you want as your free gift, & we ship it – FREE!

Can’t wait? Want them now? No problem! If you wish to buy

any of these CDs, they are only $15 (plus $3 shipping) each. Send
us your order with your check or credit card information and we’ll
get your CD(s) right out to you. You’ll love them! Guaranteed!
That’s right – if you don’t like your CD for any reason, return it for
a full refund. Heads you win – tails you can’t lose!

AND FREE DVDs – Yes, FREE! We came across this photo which IS SAID to be a German built
If you have been aboard as a Member for FIVE CONSECUTIVE Horton Flying Wing bomber. We are also told that this photo was
YEARS, you also receive a FREE DVD if you renew in a timely taken many decades ago – over Brazil!
manner. Your FREE DVD is in addition to whatever CD you
choose as your free gift – and Sharkhunters even pays the postage. Is this a true photograph? Is it really a Horton Flying Wing
bomber? Is it really airborne over Brazil?
Which DVD can you have? Any one you want from our file of
more than 160 films – it’s yours FREE with your FREE CD when These are things we intend to find out on our return expedition.
you renew your Membership dues in a timely manner. Check our Will you help us return? Read page 44 this issue carefully then
website for the complete listing of DVD selections. please send your TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution.

As an aside – that Horton Flying Wing looks a lot like……well,

AUTOMATIC Dues Renewal like the B-2 Stealth bomber of the U.S. Air Force, doesn’t it?
Think there is a reason for that? When we return to South America
When you see your automatic dues renewal charge on your in 2009, we will have more answers to many more riddles.
statement, let us know by email or snail mail which CD and DVD
you want, and we’ll ship it pronto. KTB #209
PAGE 24
 Intelligence Page
Coincidence? Parallel?
We promised our Members that this was the beginning of a
fantastic look into a history that has not been fully revealed as yet
and there is a lot more to be revealed – a WHOLE LOT MORE!
_____________________________
In the book “Escape from the Bunker” which was pretty much the
work of DON ANGEL ALCAZAR de VELASCO (158-+-1985),

‘Black Boats’
he tells of the Commander named ‘Jui’, which is not a very
German name and he also talks about a junior officer being
constantly disrespectful to the Commander. Does Jui = Jacobi?

In the 1994 interview with PAUL BOCHEN (5051-+-1996),

We hope to have more to tell you about certain ‘Black Boats’ BOCHEN (who was crew on one of the ‘Black Boats’) said this:
because as soon as this issue is finalized and taken to the print “He could not recall a name – could be
shop, Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) Korvettenkapitän Jacobi? In his views, the I.W.O.
will be in Europe, speaking with a friend and Member who rode was a Gestapo man because he very loudly
these U-Boats that didn’t exist……………. The report will be in berated the Kommandant.”
KTB #210 and if it is what we think it will be, more history will be
rewritten. Watch for it. Is it possible that this was the same ‘Black Boat’ that took DON
ANGEL and Martin Bormann to Puerto Coig in Patagonia?
We have already listed many of the officers of GRAF SPEE who
made it back to Germany to continue to serve in their armed forces We still have ample stock of this book, and it will open your eyes
(Wehrmacht) or stayed in South America to work there. to the aftermath of the war.
Here are more GRAF SPEE Officers who returned The book is only $20
each and Sharkhunters
Günter Schiebusch was W.O. and returned to Germany in 1940 to will pay the postage for
U-Boat Training. October 1941 to April 1942 he was commander you in the USA. Outside
of U-252 then April to November 1942 he was Kommandant of the the USA, please add $5
5th U-Bootflottille. In 1944 he went to OKM Staff. He was postage. We do not
promoted to Korvettenkapitän in 1944. charge for the postage –
the post office does, and
EDITOR NOTE – The secret roster of we merely collect it and
Kriegsmarine officers given to us by OTTO pay it to them.
KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985) showed that
Schiebusch was still living in Germany in 1985. In this book, DON
ANGEL tells of the time
Georg Ratsch returned to Germany in 1940. He was promoted to he was summoned for a
Kapitänleutnant in 1944. He was also living in Germany in 1985. special mission in 1953 to
meet with……..read the
Helmut Hiersemann was W. O. aboard GRAF SPEE and returned book for that information.
to Germany in 1941. We do not know what he was doing in South However, DON ANGEL
America for that missing year. Promoted Korvettenkapitän 1943. thought that the plane
took him to Antarctica but
Carl Klepp was Engineer aboard GRAF SPEE and he returned to this was either an error on his part or more likely, deliberate Spook
Germany in 1940. He was promoted to Kapitänleutnant (Engineer) misinformation. This would not be unusual for an agent who
in 1943. wanted to tell a story but not divulge too much. We believe that he
landed on the place we call the ‘Estancia’ for many reasons, which
Paul Ascher was 1. A. O. aboard GRAF SPEE and he returned to we will go into in later issues.
Germany quickly after the loss of the ship; he returned in 1939.
He was promoted to Kapitän zur See in 1941 – and posted aboard Get the book – it will open your eyes! Who was DON ANGEL
BISMARCK. He was killed 27 May 1941. working for? Who did he meet with in this mysterious place? If
you accept the carefully scripted suicide in the bunker theory, then
How did these men get out of South America? What did those keep your eyes closed and don’t order this book. But if you want
who stayed behind in South America do? We’re looking into that. to really know what happened, this book is the beginning.

KTB #209 PAGE 25

 Intelligence Page (continued)

We reference the alleged sunken U-Boats (see front cover) and we

asked S.E.I.G. Agent SECOND SON for his thoughts. He stated:

“I need to establish a good search method for the

For the printed paper KTB via the post submarines that are on the bottom of the sea covered
with sand. I need to know what technology and how
We are sorry and sad to report that Membership dues will increase much money is necessary to find them. The
by $5 at all levels of Membership. As you know, we do our very submarines are 30 meters below the sea and 2
best to keep Membership dues as low as possible and any time we kilometers from the coast.”
are forced to raise them is a direct result of increased costs, usually
increased costs from the Post Office. This was dated 16 October 2007
____________________________
In this case, it is the constantly rising postage costs, but also thanks
to the greed of the oil companies, we have no choice. Sharkhunters COOPER sent to S.E.I.G. Agent TIGER on 23 December 2007:
has an old (1987) Suburban truck that we use to bring the printing
from the print shop to the school for the KTB to be assembled then “My friend confirmed that his ‘Black Boat’ made three
to the Post Office for mailing to our Members. When we got this patrols from Spain to the Sargasso Sea AFTER the
old truck about five years ago, it cost only about thirty-five dollars end of the war where they transferred civilians onto a
to fill the fuel tank. We just filled up again a few days ago – and it
tramp steamer……but he cannot remember the
cost more than one hundred dollars to fill the same tank with the
same amount of fuel! And so sadly, dues must increase to just names of the civilians. He told me what kind of boat it
keep up with the increased costs. was and he told me which boat took Martin Bormann
to Argentina, but I will do more cross checking on this
On 1 January 2009, all levels of Membership will increase by $5. part of the story before making a definite
announcement. I think that he will remember more

NO DUES INCREASE
when I visit with him the next time. He is concerned
because twenty years ago, he was told that if he
spoke about these patrols, he would be killed. Now,
twenty years later, the men who made these threats
With the eKTB via the Internet are probably dead and my friend, who is all the time
smoking cigarettes, is dying of cancer and so he has
Sorry, we do not wish to confuse Members. On 1 January 2009 nothing to fear. He will give me more information and
dues will increase by $5 only for Members who receive the I think he may even remember the names of the
printed paper KTB Magazine through the Post Office. civilians when I see him next.”
______________________________
There will be NO DUES INCREASE for Members who receive
their eKTB via the Internet. We promised that that there would From S.E.I.G. Agent REMBRANT on 24 December 2007:
never be a dues increase for those receiving the eKTB via Internet
and that is true – there is NO DUES INCREASE for Members “Have you heard of Operation LAST CHANCE?
who receive their eKTB via the Internet. Those dues remain at: Maybe you will encounter some of the last old
$50 per year – Seaman Level hardcore SS? Some 18 members of the Waffen SS
$75 per year – Commander Level live in (Stadt). A place you have to investigate of
$150 per year – Admiral Level course is the estate of (Estancia). Perhaps it is a
good idea to do Chile as well. You know Villa XX from
Dues for the eKTB no matter what country you live – they are all Schaffer and the hardcore Abwehr officers who are
the same and they will NEVER increase. If you are not yet running the wealthiest community in South America.
receiving your eKTB via the Internet, you might wish to think One of my loyal informers in Ecuador told me a
about making the change. You will save a lot of money, your very rare story about Mengele. It seems that he IS
eKTB will reach you at least one month sooner and it is in color. STILL ALIVE and living in the capital Quito protected
by neonazis and armed forces units!”
All you have to do is send us an email and tell us to switch you to
_____________________________
the eKTB – it IS that simple! Please remember to include your
name (first and last) and we’ll take care of the change. Email us at:
These are recent communications but we are also opening our old
files that have been kept secret for fifteen or twenty years. It must
[email protected] be apparent already, that we are ripping away the well scripted
history that we were all taught in school. The history we all learned
in school is like a bowl of cold oatmeal – there is nothing there.

Change to the eKTB now!

We are certain that by the time we are finished with the REAL
history of this portion of World War II as well as before and after,
Get it instantly – save money – full color photos – why not? your eyes will be opened. Keep reading.

PAGE 26 KTB #209

 Intelligence Page
(continued from previous page) EDITOR NOTE (continued) – It is reported that these BV 138
flying boats were to drop stainless steel markers, rods of about 2
meters long, along what would be the border of ‘Neu
More from our Communications Files Schwabenland’, Germany’s claimed area in Antarctica. Again;
there is speculation, but no proof.
As we were preparing for the January-February 2008 expedition to Still, one must wonder why Germany sent a task force to this
Argentina, S.E.I.G. Agent TIGER told us: forgotten part of the world before the beginning of World War
Two…..and the US sent a very large task force to the same isolated
“We will visit every Nazi related place – you will be part of the world for the allegedly same reason shortly after the end
amazed how many you have here, we will visit of the war. Food for thought…..
‘Estancia’, a Nazi colony where Hitler stayed some
years after the war not far from the city.
Also we will go to (Casa), a huge house built by
Perón’s right hand man on a far away shore of a huge
lake. XXXXX says that Hitler stayed in this house
until ‘Stadt’ turned into a tourist city in the 1950’s then
he moved to Cordóba (province).”
____________________________

From Agent REMBRANDT prior to our heading south:

The BV 138 flying boat was built by the well known Blohm &
“Maybe it is possible to track down some new Voss shipyards in Hamburg, the same shipyard that built not only
the battleship BISMARCK but also a great many U-Boats. They
evidence about the whereabouts of SS Doctor Heim.”
reportedly were both hated and loved by their aircrews. The main
_____________________________
drawback was the very limited visibility for the pilot when taking
off and landing. However, once airborne, the three diesel powered
Again from REMBRANDT:
engines could remain aloft for hours upon hours. Perhaps this was
a determining factor is the use of these flying boats for the mission
“I have found something what looked like the secret to map Antarctica in 1938 to mark the borders of what they
diaries of Admiral Byrd. I know that it is coming from a referred to as ‘Neu Schwabenland’.
doubtful source, perhaps you will notice after reading _____________________________
the minutes of the Admiral, there are perhaps clues
for the ‘hidden site’ called by Dönitz ‘the Shangrila From S.E.I.G. Agent PIZZARRO we received this:
for the Führer’. I like to know is it fiction or fact?
Perhaps you and your Sharkhunters have some great “Yes, I have the story of Skipper Wermut U-530, but
ideas or other information. U-530 has not guest on board.
The fun begins with the flight’s log of Admiral Byrd. Near Mar de la Plata, 30 miles south near Punta
The hollow earth crap is just a trick to remove the Mogades Lighthouse was the Skipper Heinrich
investigators from digging deeper than that.” Garbers with his vessel PASSIM, on shore 11 July
______________________________ 1944. And 80 miles inland, in a farm where a very
good German agent codenamed SARGO = Becker
EDITOR NOTE – We are in agreement with REMBRANDT; with his group 12 and with radio station for the
this report allegedly written by Admiral Byrd during his time in PASSIM vessel. Vessel is the name for a sailing boat.
command of Operation HIGH JUMP is a little hard to believe. Operation name – WOLLIN I. PASSIM has 10.5 tons
There are many theories of why he had such a large battle group cargo for SARGO and Argentina General Perón.
including an aircraft carrier, a submarine, several warships and
In December 1944, Sargo gave a very long radio
some 5,000 men for what was reported to be a simple mapping
operation over Antarctica. code to Berlin, to the RSAH for the next operation in
Many Members and some here at HQ believe there definitely spring 1945. Name of the operation was Feuerland!”
was more to the mission, but so far there is no firm proof of _____________________________
anything else. Still, Germany sent a force to this same area in 1938
for an alleged mapping mission with a force that included at least FEUERLAND! We have heard so much about this operation, and
one large aircraft catapult ship with BV 138 flying boats aboard. now we will be telling more and more about it.
(continued in KTB #210 next month)
KTB #209
PAGE 27
 5 Years Ago in our KTB Ritterkreuzträger
KTB #166 was published in
February 2003 and the front page In the entire length of World War II from 1st
showed our pride at reaching our 20 September 1939 through 8th of May 1945, only
years anniversary, and we thanked 145 Knights Cross medals were awarded to the
all our Members for making men of the U-Bootwaffe. Only about 1/3 of
Sharkhunters such a success. Thanks one per cent received this high award; one man
to the Members but especially, out of 268 was so honored. That is about one
thanks to the veterans, Sharkhunters man from almost 6 boat crews; one man in
has become the official worldwide about 300 - A very high honor, indeed.
publication of U-Boat history.
The 85th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Harald
We were ending Gelhaus, Skipper of U-107 and U-143. The award was made 26
the interview with March 1943.
HELMUT SCHMOECKEL (1455-LIFE-
1990), Skipper of U-802. he also wrote a book The 86th Knights Cross was awarded to Korvettenkapitän Karl
(available in German only) entitled ‘Humanity Nietzel, Skipper of U-510. The award was made 27 March 1943.
on the High Seas’ in which he chronicled the
many times U-Boats stopped to give aid to The 87th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Günther
survivors of ships they had sunk. Seibicke, Skipper of U-436. The award was made 27 March 1943.

We were into chapter 13 of the book “Spy for The 88th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Ulrich
Germany” written by ERICH GIMPEL Folkers, Skipper of U-125. The award was made 27 March 1943.
(884-LIFE-1988), which told of his life as a
German Agent. His mission to sabotage the The 89th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Hans
‘Manhattan Project’ and halt the American Heidtmann, Skipper of U-559. Award was made 12 April 1943.
atomic bomb project came to a bad end when
he was betrayed by fellow agent William The 90th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Helmut
Colepaugh and was arrested by the FBI. Möhlmann, Skipper of U-571. The award was 16 April 1943.
Former American spook RICHARD GAY
(6314-2001) was giving his insights into the The 91st Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Gunter
Operation ELSTER that brought ERICH and Jahn, Skipper of U-596. The award was made 30 April 1943.
Colepaugh to the United States.
The 92nd Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm
Under the title GAS PRICES TOO HIGH we were running the Franken, Skipper of U-565. The award was made 30 April 1943.
transcript of the Senate hearings into the so-called American oil
companies providing fuel to all sides during World War Two. At The 93rd Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant KLAUS
that time, just five years ago, Americans were worried that BARGSTEN (328-+-1987). He had been I.W.O. aboard U-99
gasoline would go above $2 per gallon……and look at it now – under OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985) then became
about to hit $4 per gallon! In our ‘Scuttlebutt from Santos’ Skipper of U-521. The award was made 30 April 1943.
JAMES SANTOS (4896-A/LIFE-1996) gave us an overview of
the early boats in WW II starting with the “S” boats and into the
early fleet boats.

In PETER’s PERISCOPE, former Spook PETER HANSEN (251-

LIFE-1987) goes deeper into the mystery of the missing boats and
talks about U-530 and U-977 in particular, and how they were able
to make it all the way to Mar de la Plate, Argentina.

‘Secrets of Feuerland’ was the title of a piece we were doing, sort

of an early look at what we are releasing now about the Argentina
connection to the war. There was more coded messaging.

We were also running “Life on Board of Submarines” by ERICH

TOPP (118-+-1985). The title is self-explanatory.

KTB #166 was 44 pages in length and typeset on a new generation BARGSTEN Markworth
computer. The photos were nice, but nowhere near as crisp and
sharp as they are in today’s modern KTB. The 94th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Günther
_______________________________ Heydemann, Skipper of U-575. The award was made 3 July 1943.

Remember – your comments, questions and suggestions are always The 95th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Friedrich
welcome. As a Member of this organization, your input matters Markworth, Skipper of U-66. The award was made 8 July 1943.
and we give all of your thoughts careful consideration.
This list of Knights Cross recipients continues in KTB #210.
PAGE 28 KTB #209
The Silent Service
USS DRUM (SS 228)
Battle Summary of USS DRUM
Built by: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Design: Government
Keel laid: 11 September 1940 Prepared by Captain ROBERT THEW (333-+-1987):
Launched: 12 May 1941
Sponsor: Mrs. T. Holcomb 1st War Patrol (R. H. Rice) 14 April through 12 June 1942; sank
Commissioned: 1 November 1941 2 May 1942 MIZUHO seaplane tender 12,150 GRT
First Skipper: LCDR Robert Rice 9 May 1942 unknown freighter 4,000 GRT
13 May 1942 SHONAN MARU freighter 5,264 GRT
One of the older submarines, USS DRUM was in the war quickly. 25 May 1942 KITAKATA MARU freighter 2,380 GRT
In February of 1942, she operated off the dreaded Bungo Suido,
made famous by “NED” BEACH (1163-+-19989) in his book and 2nd War Patrol (R. H. Rice) 10 July through 2 Sept. 1942; sank
later movie “Run Silent! Run Deep!” starring Clark Gabel, Burt No attacks
Lancaster and many other well known actors.
3rd War Patrol (R. H. Rice) 23 Sept. through 9 Nov. 1942; sank
Under LCDR Rice, USS DRUM was off Osaka in April 1942 and 8 Oct 1942 HAGUE MARU freighter/passenger 5,641 GRT
into May. She made six attacks with the resultant loss of four 9 Oct 1942 HACHIMANZAN
Japanese ships. Five months later, USS DRUM was back in the MARU freighter 2,461 GRT
same waters and sank three more Japanese ships. 20 Oct 1942 RYUNMAN MARU freighter 5,106 GRT

During the runup to the Battle of Midway, USS DRUM was on her 4th War Patrol (B. F. McMahon) 29 Nov. 1942 - 24 Jan. 1943; sank
way eastbound, coming out of Japanese waters headed for home. No attacks
She, along with 5 other American submarines similarly deployed,
were given all available data on the impending battle and ordered 5th War Patrol (McMahon) 24 March through 13 May 1943; sank
to intercept any Japanese ships retreating from Midway. During 9 April 1943 OYAMA MARU freighter 3,809 GRT
the blockade of the Japanese stronghold at Truk, there was USS 18 April 1943 NISSHUN MARU freighter 6,380 GRT
DRUM again as part of the picket line. She attacked three large
ships and assumed damage to each, but there was no confirmation. 6th War Patrol (McMahon) 7 June through 26 July 1943; sank
17 June 1943 MYOKO MARU freighter/pass 5,087 GRT
This was a real war horse, and in October 1942, USS DRUM was
again off the Japanese home islands and sank three more ships. 7th War Patrol (McMahon) 16 August thru 6 October 1943; sank
8 Sep 1943 HAKUTETSU MARU freighter 1,334 GRT
In December 1942, USS DRUM was under a new Skipper, LCDR
B. F. McMahon and relegated to mine laying. She was back where 8th War Patrol (D. F. Williamson) 2 Nov. - 5 Dec. 1943; sank
she began, laying a mine barrage in the Bungo Suido between 17 Nov 1943 HIE MARU ex-supply 11,621 GRT
Shikoku and Kyushu.
9th War Patrol (Williamson) 9 April through 31 May 1944; sank
USS DRUM was hit and damaged on 22 November 1943. the No attacks
official U. S. Navy report is as follows:
“Depth charged by two Japanese PC’s while at about 10th War Patrol (M. H. Rindskopf) 24 June - 14 August 1944; sank
300 foot depth. Conning tower after bulkhead plating One sampan and took two prisoners
and door frame cracked in way of upper door hinge.
Leakage through crack was minor, however, being 11th War Patrol (Rindskopf) 9 Sept. through 8 Nov. 1944; sank
only 2 or 3 gpm at deep submergence. MBT No. 7 24 Oct SHIKISAN MARU freighter/pass 4,725 GRT
vent riser leaked at flange. Maneuvering room hard 26 Oct TAISHO MARU freighter 6,886 GRT
patch leaked over control cubicle. Torpedo impulse
12th War Patrol (F. M. Eddy) 7 Dec. 1944 - 17 Jan. 1945; sank
air system forward leaked slightly. No. 2 periscope No attacks
optics were deranged. Ship terminated patrol.”
13th War Patrol (Eddy) 11 February through 2 April 1945; sank
In October 1944, USS DRUM, now under command of CDR. R. No attacks
H. Rindskopf, was one of three American submarines in a ‘wolf
pack’ code named ‘Bannister’s Beagles’ patrolling the ‘Convoy USS DRUM was awarded 12 Battle Stars; was decommissioned 16
College’ area during which time she sank three more ships. February 1946; reserve training ship until 30 June 1968. She is
now a Memorial ship in Mobile, Alabama.
KTB #209 PAGE 29
FREE CDs! Yes, FREE! AUTOMATIC DUES RENEWAL
The Automatic Dues Renewal Program, which has been in effect
since the early part of 2002, is well received by our Members. It
That’s right – each & every year that you renew your Membership, saves the time and headaches of having to fill out a form each year,
you may select any one of these great CDs as your FREE GIFT. sticking it into the envelope, licking the flap – hunting for a stamp.
ACD-2 Music of the U-Bootwaffe;

YOU GET A FREE CD!

ACD-3 Music of the Wehrmacht, mostly U-Boot;
ACD-4 Italian naval music;
ACD-5 Music of the Luftwaffe I;
ACD-6 German music from the war years; For our Members with credit card numbers on file – there is
ACD-7 Russian naval and folk music; nothing for you to do. When your dues are due, they are just
ACD-8 Music of the Luftwaffe II; charged to your account and your Membership is renewed for
ACD-9 Germany military music, mostly Kriegsmarine; another year – it is THAT simple! When you see the charge
ACD-10 Very funny U.S. Air Force songs; appear on your statement, send us an email, a FAX or call to let us
ACD-11 Japanese Navy music from World War II; know which FREE audio CD you want for your renewal, and it
ACD-12 Interview with ERICH TOPP (118-+-1985) will be sent to you immediately. Which audio CD do you want?
ACD-13 Interview with BOB MAHER (221-1986); Look our website for the list. They sell for $15 each plus shipping,
ACD-14 Sea Chanteys – Lale Anderson and original Lili Marlen; but one is yours FREE when you renew your Membership.
ACD-15 WASP Tales part I;

MAYBE A FREE DVD TOO!

ACD-16 WASP tales part II;
(the WASP were the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots)
ACD-17 Interview with OTTO GIESE (45-+-1984);
If you have been a Member for five or more consecutive years, you
ACD-18 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part I;
may also select any of the great Sharkhunters videotapes or DVDs
ACD-19 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part II;
ACD-20 Drums and Trumpets, DDR Army Band; IN ADDITION TO the audio CD. Let us know your selection &
ACD-21 Austrian Folk Music; the DVD or videotape too will be sent, also FREE.
ACD-22 Marches, DDR Army Band.
ACD-23 Speeches, Music, BISMARCK Members love this program. Do we have your credit card data? If
ACD-24 Dönitz surrender speech and great music not, just send it here and you are on the list for simple automatic
renewal. Cancel anytime you wish – but this certainly is easy!
This are all great CDs – music of the war years and before; music
from the Army Band of the DDR which no longer exists and many

WARNING! WARNING!
interviews with veterans who are no longer with us and they are
yours FREE! Each year when you renew ON TIME, you will be
able to select any one of these (we will be adding more soon) CDs
as your free gift, and we will ship it out to you at no charge – we
even pay the shipping for your free CDs. This very possibly is the last year that our “Southern Patrol”
will have our group staying at the Hotel zum Türken! In a
If you are on the automatic credit card renewal program, you’ll get conversation with our dear friend INGRID
your free CD as well. When you notice the charge on your credit SCHARFENBERG (3308-A/LIFE-1993), the owner of the
card billing statement, just let us know by email, FAX or ‘snail hotel, we are told that her health is failing and she doubts
mail’ which CD you want as your free gift, & we ship it – FREE! that the hotel will be open any more after the end of 2008.

Can’t wait? Want them now? No problem! If you wish to buy

any of these CDs, they are only $15 (plus $3 shipping) each. Send
us your order with your check or credit card information and we’ll
get your CD(s) right out to you. You’ll love them! Guaranteed!
That’s right – if you don’t like your CD for any reason, return it for
a full refund. Heads you win – tails you can’t lose!

AND FREE DVDs – Yes, FREE!

If you have been aboard as a Member for FIVE CONSECUTIVE
YEARS, you also receive a FREE DVD if you renew in a timely
manner. Your FREE DVD is in addition to whatever CD you
choose as your free gift – and Sharkhunters even pays the postage.
Which DVD can you have? Any one you want from our file
of more than 160 films – it’s yours FREE with your FREE CD
when you renew your Membership dues in a timely manner.
Check our website for the complete listing of DVD selections.
We will still have our “Southern Patrol” year after year, but if

AUTOMATIC Dues Renewal

the Hotel zum Türken closes in 2008, we will not stay there
again OR visit the bunkers and tunnels that radiate out from
When you see your automatic dues renewal charge on your the basement of the hotel.
statement, let us know by email or snail mail which CD and DVD We ask you to please keep Frau SCHARFENBERG in
you want, and we’ll ship it pronto. your prayers. She is a fine lady and a good friend.
PAGE 30 KTB #209
FANTASTIC Southern Patrol!
Saturday 13 September through Saturday 27 September – 15 DAYS
We’re going places in 2008, meeting people like never before
München – Where it all Began
Our very special hotel on the Obersalzberg is a quaint three
centuries old Bavarian gasthaus, filled with history, owned by our
good friend INGRID SCHARFENBERG (3308-A/LIFE-1993).
During World War II, this was the HQ for Hitler’s personal guard We tour the many famous places in München by bus and on foot,
when he was on the mountain and was 100 meters from his home. and we have our lunch in the Hofbraühaus where the famous “beer
hall putsch” started in 1923. The Swastika is still in the ceiling!

When you walk the courtyard of the hotel, in the drive or next door Feldherrnhalle Buildings of the Reich
where Hitler’s home stood – you are walking in the footsteps of
history. When you turn in for the night, you’ll wonder who slept
in this room 65 or 70 years ago. Who took their schnapps in the Feldherrnhalle (photo above left) was the intended goal of
dayroom downstairs 7 decades past? Is your imagination up to it? the 9 November 1923 “Putsch” but it was just a few meters
to the left in this photo where the armed confrontation took
Bunkers, Tunnels running beneath the homes. place – you just have to be there to feel it! We see other
buildings of the Reich, standing today. Plenty of photo-ops!
In the cellar of our

Ulrichbergfest!
hotel is the entrance
to the underground
bunker system that
honeycombed the
mountain for miles.
Hitler, Göring, The “Memorial on Ulrich’s Mountain” might be a good
Bormann, the guards translation and it is here, atop one of the highest mountains in the
all had their bunker Tyrol of southern Austria it takes place the third Sunday of
systems and we are September each year. Inside the ruined cathedral are memorial
right there! plaques to so many of the divisions, brigades etc. of the fallen
soldiers. A huge cross stands near the cathedral.
_____________________________

The Eagle’s Nest!

This was the rest house that Martin Bormann had built for Hitler’s
50th birthday. We will be there – in the elevator inlaid with highly
burnished copper to the massive fireplace of Italian marble sent by
Mussolini to the room where Eva Braun took tea with her friends.

The ladies are selling “Schnaps” on the mountain (photo left

above) and the money goes to the veterans. What is
‘Schnaps’? Ask a moonshiner about ‘white lightning’! The
photo right is the veterans in the ‘Honors’ section, and our
Sharkhunters group is seated right with them – up front!

Elevator Entrance View from the top

The ceremonies, the dozens & dozens of veterans with their
flags, the Austrian Army band – and when they play “der
From the deck at the Eagle’s Nest high atop Kehlstein Gut Komerad” (the German version of Taps) tears will fill
Mountain, we can see all the way to the famed Salzburg Castle. your eyes and you’ll get a lump in your throat.

KTB #209 PAGE 31

 More Information on this Fantastic “Patrol”
Our time on the mountain is priceless, but the time is not finished.
We have our lunch with hundreds of veterans (photos below) on
the mountain meadow just below the area of the ceremony. The
brats and the beer are excellent! Bring the camera.

Our time with these wonderful veterans isn’t finished yet. Not one The Congreßhall (photo above) was built like the Coliseum in
but TWO evenings we are guests of honor (photos below) with Rome, but far larger. It too, is OFF LIMITS but as we know, the
hundreds of veterans from the Gebirgsjäger; the Falschirmjäger, term ‘Eingang Verboten!’ really means ‘Sharkhunters welcome!’
the Waffen SS and other divisions. You will meet them!
We are IN Room 600
of the ‘Palace of
Justice’ where the
Nürnberg ‘War Crime
Tribunals’ were held.
This is a normally
operating courtroom,
but we have it to
ourselves for an hour or
so. Photos? Of course!

You’ll walk where so

many famous people have
Naturally, there is MUCH more – too much to list it all. walked! Can you handle
_____________________________ it? Due to new demand,
we have reinstated our visit
to Oktoberfest AND we

Nürnberg The Name Says It All!

enjoy an evening dinner
cruise on the Adriatic in
Opatija, Croatia, a favorite
We visit the famous places of the beginning of the Reich and we place of the Hapsburgs.
will learn why Nürnberg was chosen – the Zeppelinfeld (photo
below) where the speeches were made – we stand on the same HIGH POINTS of this “Patrol” include:
podium and we are in the OFF LIMITS ‘Gold Room’ where • Dinner with the veterans in a magnificent medieval castle;
Hitler held his receptions before his speeches AND we’re INSIDE • Shooting competition high in the Alps;
his private office! Bring the cameras. • Dinners with vets of many branches of the Wehrmacht;
• The magnificent ULRICHBERGFEST Memorial;
• Lunch with veterans on the mountain;
• Stay in the hotel that housed Hitler’s personal guard;
• Visit to the beautiful Eagle’s Nest;
• We go INTO the bunkers under Hitler’s guard HQ;
• We tour the famous buildings in München;
• The Deutsches Museum;
• Visit the famous places in Nürnberg;
• Dinner cruise on the Adriatic;
• OKTOBERFEST!

Your low Sharkhunters “Patrol” price of only $2,976 includes all

the above plus all hotels (double occupancy), all transportation on
our deluxe motorcoach, all breakfasts, entry to all places listed, all
meetings with the veterans. Add $600 if you wish a single room.
We visit this historic place – and you will stand right on the spot www.sharkhunters.com for more details.
where the leaders of the Reich stood to make their speeches. You Sharkhunters P.O. Box 1539 Hernando, FL 34442
will be INSIDE this historic place – but no speeches, please. (352) 637-2917
PAGE 32 KTB #209
During the ‘COLD WAR’, close encounters sometimes became
deadly. In June 1970, the attack submarine USS TAUTOG (SSN
639) was shadowing a Soviet nuclear missile submarine in the
northern Pacific. The Russian commander became suspicious and
made a looping turn to check for a possible training American.

USS SCORPION heading out to sea

_____________________________

In 1986, USS AUGUSTA (SSN

710) ran into a Soviet nuclear
submarine in the North Atlantic.
AUGUST seen here, is running
surfaced during another mission.

They were testing a new type of

sonar system aboard AUGUSTA
when the incident took place.
____________________________

On 11 February 1992, USS BATON ROUGE (SSN 689) was

USS TAUTOG (SSN 639) heading out to sea cruising off Russia’s Kola Inlet when she collided with the Soviet
fast attack submarine BARRACUDA. Neither boat was lost.
EDITOR NOTE – This maneuver was unofficially
known as a “Crazy Ivan”.

One TAUTOG crewman remembered it this way,

“All of a sudden Ivan was coming screaming at us!”

Below - USS TAUTOG practicing an emergency blow

The Soviet boat’s
propellers struck the
American submarine
as she streaked by
TAUTOG’s sail.
TAUTOG had a thick _____________________________
hull and withstood the
impact, but the James Crenshaw rode USS JOHN MARSHALL (SSBN 611) said,
Russian sub wasn’t so “We knew Soviets were out there, probably sometimes right
lucky. Apparently beside us as we patrolled the vast areas of the Pacific.”
the collision ruptured
the propeller shaft seals and with the pressure of the deep
submergence, water gushed into the boat at a fearsome rate. Sonar
operators aboard TAUTOG could hear the sounds of the Soviet
submarine breaking up and sinking.
_____________________________

USS SCORPION (SSN 589) was lost

near the Azores in May of 1968.
Rumors persist that she was lost as a
result of a similar commission with a
Soviet submarine that was following
her. She is on the bottom at 10,000 feet
in this photo. Next month – ‘Special Ops’ warfare.
KTB #209 PAGE 33
 More information about U-250
Thanks to CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989) we learn: Return Expedition
To South America
This boat was sunk 30 July 1944 in the Gulf of Finland by depth
charges from the Soviet sub chasers DA-910 and M-103 and
bombed by several Soviet aircraft in position 60º 28’N x 28º 25’E
in the Koivisto Straits after an attack on the 54 ton Soviet patrol
MO-105, which was sunk. Forty-six of the crew of U-250 were As you read on page 23 and again on page 44, there will be another
killed. The commander, Kapitänleutnant Werner-Karl Schmidt ad Sharkhunters Expedition to South America in 2009; most probably
five others were taken prisoner by the Soviets. He was released the month of January and possibly over into February. This will
from captivity in March 1949. not be a soft Sharkhunters “Patrol” with a deluxe motorcoach
taking the participants from place to place – this will be another
U-250 was raised by the Soviets in early September 1944, moved fact finding expedition similar to the one just accomplished during
to Kronstadt on 15 September 1944, repaired then commissioned which we visit sites of interests to historians of the Third Reich
into the Soviet Navy as TS-14. The boat was later broken up. activities during and after the end of the war.
The Russians found secret documents, an Enigma M4 machine as We do need your help with your TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations
well as a Zaukönig acoustic torpedo. They refused a British as you saw on pages 23 and 44. We listed the gifts that we would
technical team permission to examine the boat, the equipment or send to donors – but let us add another gift here.
the torpedo.

What is the new information is that the Kriegsmarine did not want Everyone who donates a minimum of $100 will
this boat raised, so S-Boats dropped mines around the watery grave receive a copy of the expedition report AND a CD
of U-250 lying off Viborg to stop the Russians from raising U-250. of all the photos we will take on the expedition.
The S-Boats were from 5. S-Flottille, which had lost all but one
boat in the Channel and was now being reconstituted practically
from scratch.

As Großadmiral Karl Dönitz was pressing for results, the three

serviceable boats of 5. S-Flottille (Kapitänleutnant Holzapfel) set
out at once for Reval in company with the depot ship HERMANN
VON WISSMANN, arriving on 15 July 1944 and from there,
proceeding to the Kotka Skerries where 6. S-Flottille had lain in Thanks in advance for your support with this expedition.
the spring. Other boats followed once serviceable and so by
August, the Flottille stood at eight boats as ordered, although the
depot ship was west of Helsinki for fear of air attack. To
compensate for this, a provisional land base was set up and from
here the Flottille sailed a few minor operations, searched for COPYRIGHT Reminder
survivors of the three German torpedo boats sunk in their own As there is great FIRST PERSON history on
minefield while laying mines, and they dropped mines around the
watery grave of U-250 off Viborg to prevent the raising of the the pages of our KTB Magazine as well as
submarine. many well-researched articles on the history
of the U-Bootwaffe, it is all copyrighted.
Shortly after laying these mines, S-80 hit a mine and sank with five Please remember that each and every one of
crewmen. This was on 8 August 1944. T-22, T-30 and T-32 of the
3. S-Boat Training Flottille sank. T-23 escaped undamaged. our KTB Magazines is copyrighted and
_____________________________ everything in each and every issue is also
copyrighted and protected.
More information about U-74 Nothing may be reprinted, copied or
disseminated in any way without written
Thanks to CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989) we learn: permission from Sharkhunters.

As a rule, Telex was used in the Mediterranean for messages

between the flotilla staffs and Naval High Command in Rome. As Same for Photographs
there was no fixed command center and the Flotilla Commander Our photographs are also copyrighted and you will notice
led from a boat, there was little important information useable by that we are now forced to put our website address on all our
Ultra. The British received indirect information regarding the first photos. For some reason, many of our photographs are
operations of 3rd U-Bootflottille operations when Ultra decoded popping up on that website that the veterans & serious
messages sent to U-74 on 21, 22 and 23 December 1941, advising researchers call uboat-dot-NOT and the owner of the
of submarine operations off Malta. In the Black Sea and Baltic, website doesn’t know how that is happening. However,
Ultra was not significant. when we spot our photos on that website, he is quick to
remove them but we wonder how many more are on the site
Z.B. 1417/23/12-U-74 again informed that ‘our own MTBs will be and more to the point – how did they get onto that website
operating during the night 23-24/12 in Square 3491 (east of Malta) when they’re clearly Sharkhunters property. HHhhhmmmm.
and to the southward of that position’.
KTB #209
PAGE 34
First Time Ever – Bunkers in the East!
Saturday 27 Sept. thru Friday 10 Oct. 2008
From Berlin east to Warsaw, Following this Historic Course
This is an original and very special “Bunker Patrol” Heading east, we tour the
specifically designed for our Sharkhunters. For years, massive fortification “Oder
our Members have been demanding a “Bunker Patrol” Warthe Bogen” similar to the
deep into areas of Poland once controlled by the Reich. Siegfried Line with forts,
bunkers, gun emplacements
Our “Bunker Patrol” begins with a tour of Spandau. and connecting tunnels.

We visit Fort #VII (Colomb) and the town of Poznan.

After visiting this historic place, we move on to Torun
and visit the cathedral of Gneses as well as the house of
Copernicus. After dinner, we enjoy a pleasant stroll
along the Vistula (Weichsel) promenade in Torun.

In Berlin we tour the mansion, the place of the so-called Above and below – some of the sights in Poznan
“Wannsee-Conference” (photo above) and we also
visit Karlshorst, the mansion in which Jodl signed the
surrender. It is just as it was on the day of this signing.
An day is devoted to the Headquarters of the OKW
(Military High Command) and their bunkers, tunnels
and other fortifications outside Berlin, seen below.

We travel the old city section of Poznan, also Fort #2

then in the famous city of Gdansk (Danzig) we visit the
historic railway bridge near Tezew. We visit the bunker
complex at Hela Peninsula and visit Westerplatte where
the old German battleship SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN
began World War II by firing into the fortification.
Hitler’s assassination was planned here. We’re 40 meters deep
KTB #209 PAGE 35
 More Fantastic Bunkers – including WOLFSSCHANZE!

We’re also treated to visit aboard PLEASE NOTE – On this “Bunker Patrol”
currently operational submarines supper as well as breakfast is included.
of the Polish Navy – a Russian
built KILO and a German built Did you know that Heinrich Himmler had a hardened
KOBBEN. We also visit aboard bunker site not far from Wolfsschanze? It wouldn’t be
a Polish destroyer that saw combat action in WW II, the a REAL Sharkhunters “Patrol” if we missed that, so we
THUNDER (seen here in the war). We meet with visit the field HQ of Himmler near Pozezdrze.
Polish veterans as well as officers and men currently
serving in the Polish Navy.

Destroyer THUNDER KILO KOBBEN

We visit the massive fortress Marienburg (Malbork) the Do you want a better photo of the bunker complex?
biggest brick castle in all Europe. Then to Rastenburg! You can take the photo yourself on this “Patrol”.

We tour the bunker area Mauerwald and enjoy a dinner

cruise on the Mauersee aboard a beautiful cruise ship.

We visit the citadel at Modlin – a massive structure!

WARSAW! We tour the military museum, the Warsaw

Museum, Museum of 1944 Polish Uprising and much
history. During our final evening we enjoy farewell
dinner with Polish dancing and folkloric group.
HIGH POINTS of this “Patrol” include:
• Visits into Spandau, the ‘Wannsee’ Mansion and OKW;
• All hotels including all breakfasts and all suppers;
We spend an entire day at WOLFSSCHANZE! It was • Transportation aboard our deluxe motorcoach;
here that von Stauffenberg placed the bomb that was • Visits into the fortifications and bunkers listed;
intended to kill Hitler. Photos above and below. • The Polish warships and visit with the veterans;
• WOLFSSCHANZE! A huge piece of living history!
• Himmler’s bunker HQ complex.

Your low Sharkhunters price of only $2,987 includes

all of the above plus hotels (double occupancy),
transportation, breakfasts, suppers, meetings etc. Add
$600 if you wish a single room.
www.sharkhunters.com for more details
Sharkhunters P. O. Box 1539 Hernando, FL 34442
PAGE 36 (866) 258-2188 TOLL FREE
KTB #209
 Submarine Stories from SubVet ROBERT “DEX” ARMSTRONG (6909-2004)

Marl "Tinker" Garlock

He became Lil' Abner from then on. The next morning, Lil'Abner
shows up at morning chow. The cook yells out,

"Watcha havin, Abner?"

I am an odd man to memorialize Tink Garlock, a shipmate who
died aboard REQUIN. I do not have the eloquent vocabulary or "Watcha got?"
the ability to craft the phrasing required to do proper honor to a
fallen mate. Wish I did… If anyone rates such a homily, it's Tink. "Pretty much anything you want, but if you eat
This one is rough. We were alley rats together and well after his turtle eggs and hummin' bird wings, then go to
death I came to know and love his family - his brother, his sister Annapolis and eat forward. You take what y'want,
and his lovely mother.
but y'eat what you take…"

"Give me a dozen eggs scrambled, four toast, six

link sausage, shitload of bacon and black coffee."

"Hey kid, never bullshit a cook. If you're serious,

you got it. You pull my leg and I'll bounce you off
the inside of the pressure hull."

"I AM serious. You gonna’ stand there all day

runnin' yur mouth, or are you gonna’ earn what
they pay you and fix me some breakfast?"

Tink ate one dozen eggs and everything that went with it.

"Hey kid, you got a gahdam tapeworm?"

"Garlock… Is it true that your mother couldn't

USS REQUIN around the end of the war afford to feed you anymore, so she smashed your
plate and tossed your butt out the door?"
His name was Marl Garlock. He came from McConnellsburg,
Pennsylvania where they called him "Tinker" or "Tink"… We
called him "Lil' Abner."

The day he arrived he dropped down the after battery hatch,

dumped his gear and came forward to the crews mess where we
were taking a small mid-morning Spanish recess, swapping lies
with coffee. He had just cleared Great Lakes.

He was a tall lad. They ran out of dungaree trousers his length and
issued him trou that hit him three inches above his ankles. They
used to say that God never intended to create mice…..they were
elephants before they entered the Navy supply system.

So there was this new guy; freshly minted sub school grad via the
T-division on the Orion; standing there in GP boots (general
purpose high tops) and high-water pants. USS REQUIN dockside in Pittsburg
"Hey kid, tide's out… You can roll 'em down." Tink could take it and deal it out. Within a week he had
degenerated into a full-fledged after battery rat; talked about
"Hey Lil' Abner, what happened? Did Dogpatch hunting all the time. Closest most of us had come to hunting was
burn down?" doin' in rats with a pellet gun while they were doing their
'Rockettes' imitation across our mooring lines.
"Hey Abner, you'n Daisy Mae lookin' fer a home?"
(continued next page)
KTB #209
PAGE 37
Remembering HANS-GEORG HESS The Sad Story of “Tinker” Continues - Page 27

Lil' Abner was neck-deep in 90% of the stupidity cooked up in the

We received a letter from TILMAN HESS (5817-LIFE-1999), alley, but since he can no longer defend himself, I leave him out of
son of our dear departed friend HANS-GEORG (125-+-1985) the stories. That way, when I buy the farm and get to where either
who began his “Eternal Patrol”. TILMAN wrote: God or the devil billets boat sailors, Tink won't punch my lights out
and will have saved me one of those racks where you don't hot
“Your letter from 1 April 2008 was such a fantastic sack… Like in God's goatlocker (When you die, everyone makes
honor for Hans-Georg, and I/we are very thankful on Master Chief - that's why they call it Heaven).
behalf of him to say thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hans-Georg believed in God and we know him close Lil' Abner went down in the pump room to wipe down the
to Him now. You can imagine that I miss him as well.” diamond plate deck plates and equipment. He opened and lifted
______________________________ out a plate so the belowdecks watch could see the bilge level and
pump when necessary. At some point, he stretched out on the deck

Great Sharkhunters Prints

plates. Belowdecks watch and trim manifold operator thought he
was catching siesta Zs.

New Member JANE RITTER (7334--2008) ordered some of our What had happened was that Tink Garlock was wiping down with
beautiful art prints that were hand-signed by HANS-GEORG a solvent that came in a can with no warning that it was toxic and
HESS (125-+-1985) because we will donate a full 25% of the shouldn't be used in confined spaces. Someone said that it was
purchase price of these prints to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal in his name intended to clean airplanes and that anywhere you could put an
on all such orders we receive up to 31 July this year. She wrote: airplane was not a confined space. Argument useless at this point
since Tink was overcome and he died in the pump room.
“The beautiful prints arrived today!! Many thanks for
sending them so quickly.” His brother, Bob Garlock took this tragic, senseless loss and
fashioned it into a living tribute to Tink. Bob Garlock began the
REQUIN reunion. He started rounding up sailors who served on
EDITOR NOTE – These ARE beautiful prints and
REQUIN from '45 to '70. The list grows larger each year as does
as stated, 25% of all money we receive from sales the reunion. Without Bob Garlock, there would be no reunion. It's
of these specific prints by 31 July will be donated always in Pittsburgh because that's where the boat is.
to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal in the name of HANS-
GEORG HESS (125-+-1985). Details are on page At the first reunion, we took a boat ride down the Ohio and back.
41 of last month’s issue, KTB #208 and on the It was a beautiful fall evening. Snipes gathered at the fantail to
next page of this issue. Check it out. suck their lungs full of diesel exhaust and play the 'Do you
_____________________________ remember that silly bastard off the USS So-in-so' game. Tim
Conaty, a third class quartermaster, was forward. The skipper, Ed

BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE!

Frothingham yelled,

"Conaty, can you fix our position?"

We no longer keep any back issues here. It had gotten out of hand
so badly that entire storerooms were filled with back issues, so we "Aye sir… If my calculations are correct, we are either
do not keep them any longer. But the ‘Master Copies’ are still approaching La Harve or entering Tokyo."
kept here and so we can offer back issues at these prices:
Then someone yelled, "Jeezus, isn't this perfect weather?"
• If you receive the eKTB and lose one of the issues you
received via the Internet, replacement eKTB is FREE; And someone, can't remember who, hollered back,
• If you wish any other back issues that are stored on our
hard drive (from KTB #182 to current) we will send it via "What did you expect? We've got Lil' Abner standing
the Internet and the cost is only $5 per issue; watch on the weather!"
• If you wish ANY back issues printed on paper from the
masters we have here at HQ, the cost is $10 each and He was ship's company… Always will be.
Sharkhunters will pay the postage in the USA. Outside _____________________________
the USA, please add $2 for postage. It isn’t us – it’s the
post office who charges…..we merely collect the postage. EDITOR NOTE – Anyone who has served in the
military in any branch of service for any country has
Back Issues come quickly, according to LAWRENCE probably lost a friend or two during their hitch, even
NOTHDURFT (5510-A/LIFE-1998) who emailed: when there is no combat involved. The military is a
“Just a short note to let you know that I have received highly professional organization with serious
the hard copies of KTB #206 and #207. Much thanks responsibilities and sometimes working with high
for your prompt response. You guys always come technical and rather dangerous equipment. It is
through. You have better customer service than Wal always hard to lose a buddy, especially in a non-
Mart and are much more efficient than the combat situation…..but it happens, and we always
government. Once again, thanks.” remember those who don’t return.
Need back issues? Just let us know and we’ll send them right out
to you in the manner you request. Did you know it was Sharkhunters who saved USS REQUIN from
the cutting torch? More on that later.
PAGE 38 KTB #209
 In Memory of HANS-GEORG HESS (125-+-1985)
As you know, we donate 10% of all our print sales to the Deutsch Hand-Signed Limited-Edition Fine Art Prints
U-Boot-Ehrenmal (the German Submariner’s Memorial) BUT as a
tribute to this fine man, we will donate not 10% but 25% and not CONVOY in SIGHT
just prints but for everything on this page. That’s right – 25% of
all the money that comes in from sales of these items through the This beautiful black and white
end of July this year will be donated to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal. print is signed by 18 veterans of
the War at Sea…..15 Skippers, 8
Hand-Signed Limited-Edition Fine Art Prints Knights Cross holders and one
YOUNGEST COMMANDER with the Knights Cross with Oak
Leaf and Crossed Swords. Your
print is hand-signed by:
Three months past his 21st birthday,
Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve Hans-Georg Hess, Knights Cross
HANS-GEORG HESS took command Horst v. Schroeter, Knights Cross
of U-995 and became the youngest Helmut Witte, Knights Cross
combat submarine commander of Jürgen Oesten, Knights Cross
World War II and possibly of all time. Paul Brasack, Knights Cross
Alfred Eick, Knights Cross
Hess was a brave, fearless commander Kurt Diggins, C. O. of U-458
and soon earned the Knights Cross and Siegfried Koitschka, Knights Cross
he skippered his boat for five Erich Topp (Knights Cross, Oak Leaf and Crossed Swords;
successful war patrols at a time when 9 Günther Heinrich, Skipper of U-960
out of 10 U-Boats didn’t return from Gerd Thäter, Skipper of U-466
their first war patrol. Helmut Schmoeckel, Skipper of U-802
Hermann Hoffmann, Skipper of U-172
Now you may have a hand-signed print (only 1,000 made) of Herbert Werner, Skipper of U-953, author ‘Iron Coffins’
Captain Hess. The actual size of this rare print is 11” x 14” Matthias Brünig, Skipper of U-106
Volkmar König, midshipman on U-99
Order Print B Only $60 (plus $10 shipping) Gerhard Richter, radioman aboard U-81
Peter Hansen, U-Bootfahrer and Abwehr agent
_____________________________
Only 500 of these prints have been made and all are hand-signed
THÄTER and HESS by these men of history, eight of whom have already begun their
‘Eternal Patrol’. This is a great historical print!
Kapitänleutnant GERD THÄTER Order Print AJ Only $250 (plus $10 shipping)
made the trip through the ‘Gates _____________________________
of Hell’ (Gibraltar) not once but
twice! He was Skipper of U-466
and his I.W.O. HANS-GEORG Yesterday’s Enemies are Today’s Friends
HESS proved to be a superb XO This is the motto of Sharkhunters and it is the title of this print.
and he later got command of his
own Type VII-C boat.

These men were very close up to

the day that THÄTER began his
“Eternal Patrol”. They each hand-signed the 1,000 black and
white prints. This is a genuine MIKE WOOTEN print.

Order Print AK Only $100 (plus $10 shipping)

___________________________

All Prints are Numbered and Registered

All prints from Sharkhunters are numbered and ownership is This print is hand-signed by 3 German and 3 American skippers.
registered here on our master computer. This ensures that you and
only you have that specific print and you further enjoy the security GERMAN SKIPPERS AMERICAN SKIPPERS
of knowing that your ownership of your own print is kept on file Erich Topp Gene Fluckey
here at Sharkhunters Headquarters. Rolf Thomsen Slade Cutter
Hans-Georg Hess Edward L. Beach
REMEMBER – 25% of all money that comes in from items on
this page until 31 July will be donated to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal. All of these fine warriors have departed on their ‘Eternal Patrol’.
Order Print AL Only $125 (plus $10 shipping)
KTB #209 PAGE 39
Sharkhunters Historic Coffee Mugs Japan’s Escort Carriers
Make a Mug of WHO?
We are frequently asked why we don’t offer a coffee mug with the by RAUL COLON (7194-2007)
photo of this Skipper or that pilot etc and usually we DO have that Japan is universally recognized as a major carrier power during
veteran featured on a coffee mug. Here is the list of who we have World War II when the Imperial Japanese Navy possessed the
already set up and ready to ship: most powerful carrier force in the world. It was with this force,
coupled with well designed aircraft and excellent combat pilots;
NOTE: On these, the Luftwaffe Pilot’s Badge is on one side that Japan was able to roam free on the vast Pacific Ocean during
and the veteran’s photo is on the other. They include: the first months of the war. The force continued to be the
E-1 Eaglehunters Crest backbone of the entire fleet well into late 1942 when attrition,
E-2 Günther Rall mainly experience aviators, began taking its toll. By late 1943 the
E-3 Adolf Galland once vaunted Japanese carrier force was a shell of its former self.
E-4 Wolfgang Späte * Now relegated to decoy and even suicide missions, the carrier
E-5 Benno Hermann force was powerless to stop the United States Navy’s drive towards
E-6 Hans-Ekkehard Bob the Japanese home islands.
E-7 Erich Hartmann
E-8 Artur Pipan But this sad end should not overshadow the nation’s ability to
E-9 Erich Biene produce some of the finest carriers ever developed. Japan’s fleet
E-10 Viktor Petermann carrier program has been the subject of many books, articles and
E-11 Gerhard Studemann papers. Their design, development and deployment had been well
E-12 Hermann Buchner covered, but not so the Japanese escort carrier force. Japan’s
E-13 Gerhard Krems escort carrier fleet program began in the shadows of the
E-14 Willi Dipberger Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 which regulate the type of ship
E-15 Frank Neubert and total tonnage of each major naval power. Almost immediately
E-16 Franz Kieslich each of the signatories tried to circumvent the Treaty’s limits in
E-17 Georg von Zirk tonnage and capital ship designs.
E-18 Hans Wohlbier
E-19 Günther Bierbauer In Japan, a covert program began in earnest to convert passenger
E-20 Hans Dally liners into aircraft carriers. Most of the liners that underwent the
E-21 Siegfried Fischer conversion program entered the Japanese fleet as escort carriers
E-22 Oscar Boesch instead of capital, fleet flattops. Imperial Japan intended these
E-23 Franz Grap converted liners to work side-by-side with the Combine Fleet.
E-24 Herbert Ihlefeld Unfortunately, they possessed a low speed capability (between 20
E-25 Erhard Jähnert and 24 knots), lacked a true catapult system and the necessary
E-26 Hans-Ulrich Rudel ** storage capability to complement the main fleet elements. It is
E-27 Günther Kempin because the above described limitations, the primarily mission
E-28 Heinrich Meyering profile for these “converted liners” was that of ferrying aircraft
E-29 Horst Petzschler across the vastness of the Pacific. It was not until late in the war
E-30 Herbert Rauh that Japan’s escort carries were organized into a collective combat
E-31 Werner Roell unit, the Grand Escort Command, with the assignment task of
protecting the merchant and convoy shipping.
* - the reverse is the photo of the KOMET rocket plane he flew. (this will continue in KTB #210 next month)
** - the reverse is the photo of his STUKA.

U-Boat Losses by Flotilla

With the exception of E-17 (von Zirk) all these pilots were
decorated with the Knights Cross or higher.

Our Sharkhunters Historic Coffee Mugs are $15 each (plus $5 by CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989)
shipping. And we can usually ship within one week of receipt of
order. It is complicated to fire these mugs so we do it once a week. The 4. U-Bootflottille (4th Submarine
Flotilla) based in Stetin was a training flotilla
In KTB #210 next month, we will list the U-Boat Skippers that we from May 1941 through May 1945. Since
feature on our Sharkhunters Historic Coffee Mugs. As with all this was a training flotilla, their losses were
Sharkhunters Gift Items – your satisfaction is guaranteed or your nowhere near as great as those of the Front
purchase price is quickly refunded. Flotillas. However, they lost 18 U-Boats out
of a total of 283 – 6.4% in total. Flotilla
Commanders were:

Membership PRIDE!
• Kapitänleutnant Werner Jacobsen
May through July 1941;
• Kapitänleutnant Frauenheim (pictured here) July and
MARTIN FERNANDEZ (6522-2002), currently serving in the August 1941;
U.S. Army overseas, emailed this: • Fregettenkapitän Heinz Fischer from August 1941 to the
“Knowing the truth is awesome!! Here’s to end of the war.
another great year!!!”
(this feature will continue in KTB #210 next month)
PAGE 40
KTB #209
Submarine Stories from JAMES SANTOS (4896-A/LIFE1996)
He said, "Don't worry about my uniform. You worry
Albert (Albie) Niess about getting your act together. You're going on
from Russ von Moppes five days basket leave and get your yourself
In June of '48, as an 18 year old FN striker, I was standing on the together, come back and be a sub sailor!"
deck of the USS NEREUS as one of 40 others awaiting
assignment to submarines. The Duty Officer read off four names: I told him the XO was taking me to mast and he said he would
Zech; Woods; Woodruff and Van Moppes, and told us to report to speak to the XO.
VOLADOR and POMODON. The remaining 36 men were
assigned messcooking aboard NEREUS. The duty officer's name EDITOR NOTE – For those not familiar, the
was Ziezenkowski, and he was no doubt tired of all those ‘Captain’s Mast’ is the way the Navy refers to an
assignment lists which continually led off with names beginning Article 15 hearing of the Uniform Code of Military
with the letter 'A'. Justice (UCMJ) in which the unit commander has
the authority to hear minor charges against an
Assigned to POMODON and to the after torpedo room for individual and can impose minor penalties. Don’t
berthing, I met TM2 Albie Niess. With Albie, if it didn't move it
ask how this Editor knows…..
had better shine, and if it moved it had better be clean and squared
away or it was sent to the after battery to bunk. In reality, TM1
Pennington was in charge of the room, but you would never have When I came out of the well, the XO saw me, gave me a dirty look
and told me to see the yeoman for my leave papers. I went on
known it.
leave and kept thinking about Albie crawling around the battery
Leaving POMODON and Albie Niess in Yokosuka in '51 as a well in his dress canvas. NO WAY was I going back and screw
over someone who went out of his way to help me. I know that is
squared away EM2, I attended IC School then on to Instructors
School; NTC; Nuclear Power School; and OTC. As a newly what got me started growing up. Butch was my Chief and he and
commissioned Ensign, I reported aboard the RASHER in 1958 as Albie decided that maybe, just maybe, I might make a submarine
sailor someday. I hope I made it!
the Commissary Officer. Several of the current RASHER roster
were aboard, including the CO, Cal Turk; Reed Grady, XO; Don
Walsh; Thom Warburton; Larry Shumaker, and Gib Carter. LCdr. I have served in a lot of boats since then with various duties: PO,
CPO, and COB. I have had many Chiefs and COBs, but NONE
Grady was relieved by Fred Fagin and I had been promoted to 1st
Lt., Weapons Officer. Fred asked if I could find a COB for Rasher the equal of Chief Petty Officer Albie Niess and Chief Petty
and I immediately thought of Albie. We found him and the rest Officer Butch Koenig.
was magic.
(there will be more Scuttlebutt in KTB #210 next month)
Albie knew every white hat, their strengths and weaknesses, and
how to get the most from every one of them. A model for the

12 May 2008!
wardroom, he was in great part responsible for RASHER winning
the Division and Squadron 'E' during that period, as well as for a
very successful WestPac cruise.

I have had many blessings and a wonderful life that had it's origins
in the mentorship of TMC Albert (Albie) Niess. If there be a 'fish' That is when Members who receive the electronic
in heaven, it be a hot, straight and normal run under his guidance. eKTB were reading this issue – IN FULL COLOR!
_____________________________ When was the printed paper KTB delivered the post?
SAVE MONEY! ALL Members - in the USA or outside the
Albie and Butch USA…..anywhere in the world receiving the eKTB pay
from Dave Hackett • only $50 per year at Seaman level;
For whatever it's worth, I would like to pass on something about • just $75 per year at Commander level;
two real submarine Chief Petty Officers, Albie Niess & Butch • and $150 per year at Admiral level.
Koenig. In 1960 I was 24 years old going on 15, and had a
problem of NOT showing up on my duty weekends. One day the These dues will NOT INCREASE! No matter what happens to
XO told me he had enough of my s_ _ _, and that I could explain it the cost of postage, it does not affect those receiving the eKTB so
to the CO over the long green table. the dues will not increase.

Later, while cleaning up in the forward battery well, Albie came It is easy to change from the printed paper KTB to the instant
down wearing dress blues. I said, electronic eKTB. Just send an email to us and tell us that you
want the eKTB. It IS that easy! [email protected] is the
"Albie, you're going to destroy your uniform.
email address – some out of the dark ages – and save money!
The battery acid will eat holes in it."
KTB #209 PAGE 41
 Secret Chinese Submarine Base How Sharkhunters Helped Save USS REQUIN

One of our S.E.I.G. Agents has sent us this information, taken from When we moved from a Chicago suburb to Tampa, Florida in 1988
the "Daily Telegraph" in England, said to be the best selling USS REQUIN was in the Hillsborough River. She had been open
quality newspaper in Britain. In this article, with accompanying to visitors as a memorial boat but the Navy Cadets who had been
photo from the 'Daily Telegraph', it states that China has built a operating and maintaining the boat did not renew the contract and
major underground nuclear submarine base that could challenge the boat was just locked up and languishing at the river’s edge.
American power in the region. We approached the city to operate the boat and to make our HQ on
The story is backed up by this photo from this Agent who, as yet, board, but Mayor Sandy Freedman decided that we must be a
does not have a S.E.I.G. code name. Secret submarine bases bunch of Nazis even though many U.S. Navy veterans contacted
hewed out of solid mountains is nothing new. The Soviet Navy her and tried to explain that we’re a history organization and with
did the same in the Black Sea at the Ukrainian port city of no political direction at all. In our plan, we would operate the boat
Balaklava, better known from as a Memorial, have submarine veterans as well as U.S. Navy high
"The Charge of the Light school NROTC cadets act as tour guides and maintain the boat.
Brigade" by Alfred Lord After the bills would be paid, the remainder would be split three
Tennyson. We were there with ways between Sharkhunters, the city of Tampa and the NROTC
our 1995 "Patrol in Russia and cadets. She wouldn’t even meet with us and turned a deaf ear.
Ukraine" and again to the same She turned the boat over to a local Boy Scout leader which, on the
places in 1996. We walked far surface, didn’t seem to be a bad idea - they are an American group.
out on a point of land where we However, this Scout leader did not have the boat open to visitors at
saw lookout towers built all and just used the boat for his Boy Scout meetings.
centuries ago by the Phoenicians
but manned by Russian security Well, actually he WAS using the boat for more than Boy Scout
forces in 1995 and 1996 - and we meetings – he was doing things to & with his Scouts that definitely
could look back at the sheer not in the Boy Scout manual! The Tampa Police stormed aboard
cliffs on both sides of the USS REQUIN (SS-481), caught the Scout leader in the Captain’s
entrance to the harbor. In the cabin with one of his Scouts. The evening news and the local
vertical cliffs on one side of the newspapers featured photos of this guy being led off the boat in
harbor, the massive iron doors of handcuffs – a terrible thing for an American submarine!
the entrance into the secret
Russian submarine base were Enter Captain BOB O’NEILL (904-1993), USN Retired. There is
easily seen. something terrifying about a US Navy four-stripe captain in dress
whites when he’s angry. With HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983)
Hiding submarine bases inside mountains is not a new idea, but in tow, BOB stormed the Mayor’s office but she was chicken and
with the massive influx of money to China from their trade goods so sent one of her flunkies to talk with BOB. The flunky said that
sold in just about every major nation in the world, the Chinese they would be happy to give Sharkhunters the same contract to run
military is moving forward a great speed to build a huge military the boat that they gave to the Scout leader. BOB read it said that
force and is rapidly becoming a full-fledged blue water navy. It only an idiot would agree to what the mayor was demanding, so it
would be foolish to take them lightly. did not go to Sharkhunters. But the story doesn’t end there.

While it once was a good idea to hide submarine bases inside That nitwit mayor was rumored looking for a wrecking company to
mountains - with the advent of the always present "eye in the sky" break up USS REQUIN in the river! We ran a blistering editorial
of the satellites, is it really a good idea still? Once inside, the in our KTB Magazine which was republished in POLARIS, the
submarines are invisible to the satellites - but they have to surface magazine of the World War II SubVets, and there was so much
to come into the mountain bases and at that time, they are visible to pressure on Mayor Sandy that the idea of scrapping out the boat
the satellites. was shot down. Someone picked up the ball and contacted the
_____________________________ Carnegie Museum in Pittsburg and they took the boat. She is well
maintained there and is a fitting tribute to the men of the Silent
Service – saved from the incompetent Tampa Mayor.
Update from another Member
PS: Sandy Freedman’s husband was going to be given a nice job
Another Member who is still unnamed tells us that when she was by Bill Clinton but turned out that he had dirty hands…..something
in ONI (Naval Intelligence) in the 1990’s, the U.S. Government about a bank known as BCCI, money laundering, drugs, etc………
knew about this base. Any additional info from Members? Don’t you just love a story with a happy ending?

PAGE 42 KTB #209

For Sale – Museum Quality U-Boat Caps
White Top U-Boat Captain’s Caps…...$150
Soldbuchs……………………………..$ 20
Brass Kriegsmarine Buckles………….$ 30
Museum quality Cap Tallies………….$ 15
Gold WW II U-Boat Badges…………$ 25
(In blue cases)
Kriegsmarine Grid Maps……………..$ 45
WW I German Navy Battle Flags……$ 75
(23” x 16½” inches, cotton/linen)

These are superior quality remakes of the

World War II Captain’s White Top U-Boat
caps. These have the smaller gold braid
trim on the bills as correct for the rank of
Kaleu (Kapitänleutnant) as seen in ‘Das
Boot’. Our caps are very well made – heavy
white cotton canvas tops; real black leather
straps around the front, gold embroidered
wreath and cockade with the gold embroidered eagle and swastika on top portion, gold Kriegsmarine buttons on
each side, brown leather sweatbands with proper stamp and the underside of the bill is leather. Gold antiquated
eagle and Hackenkreuz can be furnished upon request. 7/12

The caps are absolutely stunning quality, made Shipping on our caps and all other items in the USA is
especially for our company. They can also be put with $7.50 via Priority Mail and use delivery confirmation.
a World War II display. We have furnished them to
military museums not only in the United States but also Cap tallies, belt buckles, World War I flags and grid
in Canada, Australia and Austria. Our caps are so well maps are shipped rolled.
made they can be worn! If you are the proud owner of

Satisfaction Guaranteed!
a boat, you could be your own Commander! The
quality is such that the caps should last you a lifetime,
worn with or without the upper insignia (your decision).
We have always offered 100% satisfaction in anything
EDITOR NOTE – We have one of these we sell, and we take PayPal, checks or money orders.
caps for display. They are indeed,
outstanding. They are good looking and
of a very high quality. To Place Your Order
They are just a super, super Kriegsmarine cap. We
know you’ll be pleased. I am retired military. More Joe Fischer
than 2,900 customers have purchased from us and as Wild Geese Farms Military Antiques
stated previously, we have furnished U-Boat Skippers 1055 Aire Court
caps to military museums Murfreesboro, TN 37128

CAP TALLIES – at present, we have in stock the Telephone (615) 895-5754

following museum quality collector grade cap tallies:
• Kriegsmarine EDITOR NOTE – DO NOT ORDER
• BISMARCK from Sharkhunters. You must order
• GRAF SPEE directly through Wild Geese Farms.
They are made exactly like ‘originals’ selling for
hundreds of dollars.
KTB #209 PAGE 43
You KNEW we were going back! Our recent expedition to Argentina and Chile was primarily to meet
face to face the friends with whom we have been corresponding, and to see if there really was
substance to these rumors. There is great substance, and many more riddles that must be solved so
we’re planning a return expedition to this area with Geiger counters, metal detectors, experts in various
fields and we will spend more time on site, doing more research in Argentina and Chile and filming it all.

We need your help! All this takes money, so we would like you to send what you can to help with our
return expedition – and your donations are tax deductible, so please think big - it is sorely needed!

You may send your check or send a note to charge your donation to your credit card. Make your check
or charge to Sharkhunters International Submarine Research Institute (S.I.S.R.I. if you don’t like to write
so much) and send it here. This is a legally constituted 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization and you may
deduct your donations from your taxes. Check with your tax preparer on this. Thanks in advance.

YOU can help uncover honest history - send your donation today and be part of it!

In KTB #210 next month, we’ll ask for volunteers to be with us and we will tell the criteria.
PAGE 44 KTB #209